2. Edge rusher
A lot of fans reading this article would put cornerback ahead of edge rusher and that is fine, they are both so close and both huge holes for the team that need to be fixed. But at the end of the day, as I already mentioned, if today’s team stepped onto the field I would feel more comfortable about the cornerbacks than I do the edge rushers, even with Staley’s background as an outside linebackers coach.
The Chargers are painfully thin on the edge. Yes, the team has one of the best edge rushers in Joey Bosa but it is bleak outside of that. Uchenna Nwosu is a decent rotational player but I did not see enough in 2020 to commit to him being an every-down player on the outside of the defensive line.
The need is even more pressing if the team switches to a 3-4 defense. At this point, it seems more likely than not that the Chargers will adopt something as least similar to a 3-4 defense and if that is the case then the team needs to stock up on outside linebackers.
I feel better about Nwosu as an outside linebacker than I do a traditional defensive end but the team has nobody else to play the other outside linebacker position. Staley confirmed in his introductory press conference that Kenneth Murray would be playing behind the ball and Bosa at OLB is intriguing but he is much more valuable at defensive end.
That is a position that literally has zero good suitors and even if they stay in a 4-3 defense the depth of the edge rushers will be exposed rather quickly.
To win in this league you have to manufacture pressure without blitzing. With this defensive front, teams can focus on Joey Bosa and not have much else to worry about. That is a problem.