The Los Angeles Chargers, under new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, have their work cut out for them in training camp.
Of course, O'Leary's experience under Jesse Minter and the overall continuity on that side of the ball will help ease the transition to a new scheme. The characteristic two-high shells and heavy zone coverage of Minter's scheme will remain intact. But as far as the nuances go, O'Leary will need time to implement the different expressions of his scheme among the Chargers' existing personnel.
He'll also have some distinct decisions to make in regards to the depth chart. Beyond Derwin James and Elijah Molden, Los Angeles doesn't currently have a clearly identifiable structure in the safety room— each of RJ Mickens, Genesis Smith, and Tony Jefferson have the skills to take on significant snap shares there.
O'Leary will need to identify, both in training camp and over the course of the season, what he values in his third safety spot, especially as James continues to slide into the nickel/dime role that has become his calling card. It's shaping up to be one of the league's most sneakily intriguing storylines as we enter training camp.
The Chargers need to identify a structure for their safety room beyond Derwin James and Elijah Molden
As mentioned, part of what will make this decision so difficult is that each piece has a relatively clear-cut case for taking on that snap share alongside Molden.
Tony Jefferson, who played 63% of the team's defensive snaps across the 13 games he appeared in last season, largely claimed that role for himself after the Chargers moved on from Alohi Gilman. Although there's certainly some room for athletic decline there, Jefferson is still an energetic, hard-hitting safety with the versatility to play deep or get downhill against the run game. He posted four interceptions to just eight missed tackles last season, and there's a reason Los Angeles brought him back on a one-year deal even as he enters his age-34 season.
Mickens, meanwhile, was a surprisingly emergent contributor for Los Angeles after being selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Like Jefferson, the trade of Gilman opened up opportunities for Mickens, and he made the most of them. He played 47% of the Chargers' defensive snaps across the 12 games he appeared in, and he flashed a skill-set as a well-rounded safety. While his upside might not be absurdly high, he's solid both in coverage and in the run game, and he's someone you can trust to remain solid in the Chargers' complicated zone-matching scheme.
Smith is the wild card here. When he was selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft by Los Angeles, much of the attention centered on his concerning tackling numbers. In his final season with the Arizona Wildcats, he posted a missed tackle rate of 19.8%. But his primary skillset has always been his nose for the ball and his ability to cover wide swathes of the deeper parts of the field, and he flashed that wholeheartedly through the offseason program.
O'Leary's choice between these three safeties will come down to what he values alongside Molden. Is it the experience and the aggression of Jefferson? The slow-burn developmental upside of Mickens? Or the pure ball-hawk abilities of Smith?
Each piece will get their chance in training camp to make their case for the position, and it will be a storyline to watch when the Chargers finally exit the doldrums of the offseason on July 29.
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