Among the position battles looming for them in training camp, the Los Angeles Chargers will have some decisions to make in their ILB room.
Daiyan Henley and Denzel Perryman are still the established starters. Troy Dye likely already has his role as the third rotational linebacker secured. But beyond that, Marlowe Wax, Del'Shawn Phillips, and even UDFA Lander Barton will be pushing for roles in Chris O'Leary's defense.
That leaves third-year linebacker Junior Colson, who missed all of last season with a severe shoulder injury, in a precarious position.
In an immediate sense, they may be better off clearing the path for Wax to develop into a rotational contributor. But with the futures of Perryman and Henley up in the air, the Chargers have to consider their developmental pipeline as well.
According ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid, the off-ball linebacker class could prove to be the weakest position group in next year's Draft. If the Chargers believe Colson still has developmental upside, that emerging storyline could pave the way for him to stick on the roster in 2026.
Junior Colson is the Chargers' highest-upside linebacker— even if he hasn't proved it yet
Coming off a class that held Arvell Reese near the top of its ranks, perhaps our perspective is somewhat skewed. But Reid makes it clear that, as of now, there are no top talents at off-ball linebacker emerging for the 2027 draft class, nor is there a general sense that the class will be particularly deep at that position.
Off-ball linebacker won't be the Chargers' top draft need heading into 2027. But it's impossible to ignore that the future of the position in Los Angeles is somewhat cloudy.
Perryman is entering his age-34 season, and his production has diminished pretty significantly in each of past two campaigns with the Chargers. Daiyan Henley is entering the final season of his rookie deal, and there has not yet been any indication of serious negotiations. Los Angeles will almost certainly bring Henley back for his second contract, but that also injects a degree of uncertainty into the situation. Dye will also become a free agent at the end of 2026.
In short, the Chargers desperately need an injection of developmental talent into their inside linebacker room. Colson might not be the most promising prospect after a disappointing first two years in the league, but he's who they have on the roster currently.
Coming out of college, Colson was seen as a potential every-down linebacker considering his consistencies in coverage. While he lacked the downhill athleticism to truly be an immediate factor in the run game, the promise was there for him in the long-term as a complement to Henley. Perhaps a fully healthy season on the 53-man roster will give Colson the boost he needs to start to realize that potential.
If Los Angeles doesn't have a long-term plan at the position— and there don't seem to be real avenues to finding one in next year's Draft— their best move might be to give Colson one more year of grace, even if it comes at the expense of snaps for Wax and Phillips.
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