If there's been one central storyline for the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason, it's been their pair of new coordinators—Mike McDaniel and Chris O'Leary.
Of course, McDaniel has gotten the bulk of the attention this offseason. That's partially a result of his attention-grabbing personality and noted on-field antics during his time with the Miami Dolphins. But there's also plenty of reason to be excited about what this Chargers offense can accomplish with an innovative play-caller calling the shots, and there seems to be an overwhelming sense of optimism on that side of the ball for Los Angeles.
When it comes to Chris O'Leary and the defense, though, the feeling seems to be a bit more lukewarm. That's understandable, especially considering what Jesse Minter was able to accomplish during his time with the Chargers. Across two seasons, Los Angeles was finished as a top-ten passing defense twice, and Minter was able to maximize the talent the Chargers had in the secondary on a consistent basis.
When any first-time coordinator is filling the shoes of a highly successful one—especially one who thrived based on scheme and not pure on-field talent—there's reason to have some doubts.
But O'Leary, who has all the tools he needs at his disposal, has the chance to quickly prove why those concerns are overblown.
Chris O'Leary has everything he needs to replicate Jesse Minter's success in 2026
First, and most importantly, O'Leary has a bit of a runway to get his defense in tune before the Chargers enter the difficult portions of their schedule. They'll kick off the campaign with matchups against the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders, which should give the unit plenty of time to iron out any kinks that may be lingering in their execution of the zone-heavy, post-snap rotation focused scheme.
The turnover along the defense also hasn't been that drastic this offseason. The key pillars—including Derwin James Jr., Tuli Tuipulotu, Khalil Mack, and Daiyan Henley—are all still in place. Los Angeles should also see strides out of rookie Akheem Mesidor and third-year cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart that should help fill any gaps left behind by the Chargers' free-agency departures.
Where things will ultimately be determined is on the margins, though. Can the Chargers stop the run at a more consistent rate than they did in 2025? And can they maximize their pass-rush pressure, perhaps with a slightly more frequent tendency towards the blitz, like they did last season?
The addition of Dalvin Tomlinson at nose tackle, despite his uninspiring production during his stint with Arizona, should go a long way toward answering the first question. Tomlinson is the type of big-bodied, multi-gap run stopper the Chargers have been missing, and his arrival allows them to place Teair Tart and Jamaree Caldwell in more advantageous positions along the defensive line.
The second question is related. Mesidor doesn't need to replace the production of Odafe Oweh, who departed to the Washington Commanders in free agency this offseason, but he does need to complement Tuipulotu and Mack with his bend, power, and agility in the same way that Oweh did. Combine that with O'Leary's tendency towards aggression and wider alignments as well as the pass-rush capabilities of rotational defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe, and there should be plenty of reason to believe in Los Angeles' capabilities on that front.
Much of the discourse surrounding the Chargers' defense, throughout the offseason, has focused on a potential regression after Minter's departure. But the question should be—if everything goes according to plan, how far can O'Leary push this unit in 2026?
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