LA Chargers: The 4 best moves of the Bolts’ offseason
By Jason Reed
3. Drafting Asante Samuel Jr. in the second round
This was viewed as the best-case scenario selection for the LA Chargers in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft and it actually came to fruition. Every Charger fan was mocking Asante Samuel Jr. to the team in the second round hoping it would happen, but in reality, it seemed like it was far-fetched.
It wasn’t. Samuel fell right into the Chargers’ lap and it was the second-easiest selection Tom Telesco had all draft. The Chargers needed an impact outside cornerback who would fit with Brandon Staley’s scheme and they got just that in Samuel.
Samuel has legitimate CB1 potential and while he might not reach that in year one he projects to be a quality cornerback and probably an upgrade from Casey Hayward. He is a man-coverage corner who thrived in both press and non-press situations and his versatility to even play in the inside will be utilized by the team.
The Bolts have a really exciting cornerback duo with Samuel and Michael Davis, who has all the traits of being a CB1 and could be primed for a breakout season. If Davis can break out, and Samuel hits his potential sooner than expected then we could be looking at one of the best secondaries in the league in 2021.
Of course, those are two big ifs for the team but they are not out of the realm of possibility.