The Los Angeles Chargers likely needed to add secondary depth in the 2026 NFL Draft. Whether this came at cornerback or at safety was ultimately up to where the chips fell on Day 3.
The Chargers went with Genesis Smith out of Arizona at 131st overall, using their third selection of the fourth round on the 'center-fielder' defensive back who played the majority of his snaps at free safety in his final season in college.
While it would've been reasonable for Los Angeles to select a player who can confidently move down into the box more often, Smith was a solid selection. He has the open-field coverage instincts to become a truly staunch defender at the NFL level.
In his NFL Draft Superlatives, Gavino Borquez of Chargers Wire listed Smith as the "Day 3 pick most likely to start". Here's the case he made for Smith at free safety:
"The Chargers are going to utilize a lot of three-safety looks, with Derwin James Jr. playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Elijah Molden will be the other starter. Smith, the rookie out of Arizona, could be the deep-field safety in those sets. While he needs to work on his tackling consistency, Smith’s ball-hawking instincts and range make him a legitimate threat for the starting spot over Tony Jefferson and R.J. Mickens." Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire
While Smith will need to improve his tackling abilities, Borquez makes a strong case for why he could see significant snaps as a rookie. The surprising effect, however, could be the sidelining of one of the Chargers' most promising young defenders in 2025— R.J. Mickens.
Chargers have set the stage for a season-long battle between R.J. Mickens and Genesis Smith
Mickens, who came to Los Angeles as a sixth-round selection in last year's Draft, quickly made an impression on the coaching staff. They were ultimately willing to move on from Alohi Gilman in the Odafe Oweh trade, granting more extensive opportunities to both Molden and Mickens in the safety rotation.
Mickens undeniably performed. Although he still has some work to do as a run defender, he was excellent in coverage, posting a 73.4 coverage grade (17th among all safeties, per Pro Football Focus) and nabbing a pair of interceptions on the season. He played 47% of the team's defensive snaps across the 12 games he appeared in.
Heading into 2026, it seemed as though Mickens could be poised for a breakout season.
Smith, for his part, has many of the same issues as a tackler and a run defender. In his final college season, he missed a staggering 18 tackles, putting him at a missed-tackle rate of nearly 20% on the season.
Tackling and physicality are things that can be developed, though. The Chargers certainly have the defensive infrastructure and the coaching talent to instill these things in their defensive backs.
It's not as though Mickens' opportunities will be gone entirely. It's likely that Chris O'Leary will want to utilize the full arsenal available to him on the deep portions of the field. But if Smith impresses in camp similarly to how Mickens did, and the Chargers feel strongly about his ball-hawking abilities, he could quickly eat into Mickens' snap share as a rookie.
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