LA Chargers: Non-rookies with most to prove in Chargers training camp

3. Desmond King

Desmond King is absolutely one of the most interesting players not only on the LA Chargers but in the entire league heading into 2020. King was named an All-Pro for the 2018 season and appeared to be one of the best young coverage corners in the entire league.

King looked to be a staple of the Chargers’ defense and one that the team could build around in the coming years. Now, just one season away from his contract being over, Charger fans are wondering if King will even be on the team in 2021.

King had a really bad 2019 season. To be fair, he was still a sure tackler and made good plays in run defense, but in coverage, he was one of the worst players in the league at slot corner. He was not just bad, he was hurting the team bad.

Now he finds himself in an interesting spot. The defense lost Adrian Phillips to the New England Patriots and brought in Chris Harris to help the secondary. Harris is going to likely spend most of his time in the slot as that is where he has played best in his career.

King is projected to take over the safety-corner-linebacker hybrid role that Phillips had in the defense and be the swiss army knife. However, he has to prove in camp that he is up for that role and can not only be better than last year but not be a liability on the defensive side.

There are other ball-hawks, such as Nasir Adderley, who could also fill into that role if needed. King’s spot on the defense is not guaranteed and he has to earn it in camp.