The Los Angeles Chargers defense should be able to find its footing relatively quickly under new coordinator Chris O'Leary.
Of course, there's going to need to be a period of adjustment. The Chargers found major success over the past two seasons with Jesse Minter calling the plays on the defensive side of the ball, and some overturn in personnel and some schematic adjustments will take time to set in. But if everything goes according to plan, this unit should be just as viable, if not more, than it was in 2024 and 2025.
Los Angeles will need a series of developments from the young players they're asking to step into bigger roles for this to happen, though. And that includes third-year defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe.
Although the complexion of the starting defensive line hasn't changed tremendously this offseason outside of the addition of nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, Los Angeles will need to maximize its interior pressure in order to execute O'Leary's scheme effectively. While they have routes to accomplish that through flexing either Tuli Tuipulotu or Akheem Mesidor to the inside, Eboigbe—who will operate behind Teair Tart and Jamaree Caldwell in the DT room—will be a key piece in that endeavour as well.
If he's able to take another leap from what we saw from him in 2025, he could quickly become the player that completes this room for the Chargers and, by extension, their defense as a whole.
Justin Eboigbe needs to be a consistent pressure-producer for the Chargers in 2026
If there was anything to build upon for the Chargers' defense this offseason, it was their versatility along the interior. Although Tart had a breakout season in 2025 and was rewarded with a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason, the departures of Da'Shawn Hand and Otito Ogbonnia in free agency stripped the Chargers of a measure of their depth in the room.
Although both Hand and Ogbonnia were primarily special teams pieces, their departures mean Caldwell and Eboigbe are going to need to step up their games in 2026 if they want to help solidify the interior.
Caldwell, for his part, played 48% of the Chargers' defensive snaps across 17 games last season, posting 13 pressures and 20 total tackles in that span. The pure well-roundedness of his game will likely leave him in a starting role across from Tart on the defensive front. But he doesn't have the speed nor the agility to be a consistent threat against the pass, and Los Angeles needs to have an option there if they want to maximize what they have available to them among their primary pass rushers.
Tart also isn't the most consistent pressure-producer, although he's the Chargers' most well-rounded piece in that room.
That's where Eboigbe comes in. It's hard to tell if he'll see a significant increase from the 40% snaps share he saw with Los Angeles last season. But even in that somewhat limited role, he was still highly effective in the pass rush, posting 21 total pressures and six sacks over the course of 17 games.
On an every-down basis, Tart, Caldwell, and Tomlinson (in non-nickel looks) is likely the Chargers' best three-man combination along the defensive front. Eboigbe still struggles at times as a run defender, and he needs to take strides in his ability to clog up gaps along the line.
But with the emphasis O'Leary seems to want to place on non-blitz pressure and an aggressive defensive front, Eboigbe is the piece that can help solidify that intention for Los Angeles.
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