LA Chargers: Predicting all 16 players on the 2020 practice squad
LB Emeke Egbule
Emeke Egbule finds himself in a similar situation to the one mentioned with Broughton earlier. The Chargers drafted Kenneth Murray with the additions of Nick Vigil and Malik Jefferson.
If they’re only going to keep seven linebackers, I’m just not sure Egbule has quite enough leverage to make the cut. Given his playing experience last season though, he seems like someone the Chargers would like to keep around.
LB Romeo Finley
Romeo Finley is another undrafted prospect that can bring some heat. At Miami, Finley played a position called “striker”, which is effectively a mix of linebacker and safety. He has a little bit of an edge over some of the competition due to having experience playing in the box and at safety.
Finley’s real strength is his tackling, especially in the open field. Miami’s defense struggled in 2019, but Finley always struck me as an underrated prospect who never got enough time with a loaded linebacker group.
CB John Brannon III
John Brannon is more of a dark horse candidate, but he certainly has a shot of making the practice squad. There’s not a lot of tape you’ll be able to find of the Western Carolina University product, but he has decent coverage skills.
Unfortunately, he also has some miscues and a lack of strength in his game. Like a lot of the other players on this list, Brannon is a stash and develop type of situation.
In his senior season, he contributed on 55 tackles and three interceptions. Brannon’s defensive play landed him on his conference’s Second Team.
CB Quenton Meeks
More cornerback depth here. Quenton Meeks has bounced around the league for a while and was once heralded as an UDFA steal by the Jaguars. He’s bounced around a few teams at this point and finds himself on the LA Chargers’ training camp roster.
He was pretty good at Stanford before deciding to forego his senior season to prepare for the 2018 draft. Meeks has prototypical Chargers’ cornerback size. His issue in challenging for the fifth spot on the roster. Vertical field-stretching can be a challenge for a slow, more physical corner. There’s still enough potential for a practice squad nod though.
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Ultimately, it’ll be a competitive race to see who will take the 16 practice squad spots. Without a normal preseason, this creates a little more of an opportunity for guys who want to show that they can make an impact. Let me know who you think will make the practice squad in the comments below!