The 10 best defensive linemen in the history of the LA Chargers

With the quarterback position by far being the most important key to success in today's NFL, having a pass-rush that can disrupt an opposing quarterback is easily the second-most important.

Some of the best teams in Chargers history benefitted from players who could not only get to the quarterback but establish a standard of dominance on the defensive line. The defensive line is the heart and soul of the defense and that may never change.

Throughout the years there have been several very talented defensive linemen to suit up in the powder blue. Ranking them across eras and play styles can be difficult but it certainly is possible.

Criteria for selection

There are two types of defensive linemen who do vastly different things. Interior defensive linemen are key for setting the line of scrimmage and stopping the rushing attack. They are still important when it comes to sacking the quarterback but that mainly falls on the edge rushers.

It is hard to create one unified list for two different types of players who share the defensive line. For that reason, we will break up the 10 best defensive linemen in Chargers history into the five best interior defensive linemen and the five best edge rushers.

Sacks are an important part of the conversation but they are not the entire picture (especially considering they weren't recorded until 1992). How someone compared to their peers (best pictured by Pro Bowls and All-Pros) and how long they played for the Bolts will also have a big impact.

The top 5 interior defensive linemen in Chargers history:

5. John Parrella

John Parrella is the only interior defensive lineman on this list to not have been named an All-Pro during his tenure with the Bolts. In fact, Parrella was never even voted a Pro Bowler during his long tenure with the Chargers.

That being said, Parrella was still an more-than-serviceable defensive lineman for the Chargers for quite some time. Parrella spent eight years with the Chargers and while he was an average pass rusher from the interior, his ability to set the line of scrimmage benfitted the Chargers defense.

Parrella fell into the Chargers' lap as well. The defensive linemen from Nebraska was selected in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and was cut after just one season with the team. That is when the Chargers scooped him up and the rest was history.

4. Louie Kelcher

The Chargers tripled down on the defensive line in the 1975 NFL Draft, drafting Louie Kelcher in the second round after taking another player on this list in the first round. The results spoke for themselves as Kelcher and his aforementioned teammate created one of the best defensive line duos in franchise history.

This defensive line duo was good enough to get Kelcher on this all-time list and earn him some notable accolades as well. Kelcher was a three-time Pro Bowler in his nine-year tenure with the Bolts and was even named a First Team All-Pro in 1978.

A year of Kelcher's prime was taken from him as he played just one game in 1979 due to a knee injury. Kelcher returned in 1980 to become a back-to-back Second Team All-Pro. Considering 1979 was right in the middle of his five-year prime, it is safe to say his career would have been even more impressive if he did not essentially miss the entire year.

3. Ernie Ladd

Ernie Ladd was the first great defensive tackle in LA Chargers' history. Ladd joined the Chargers in the team's second year in existence in 1961 after he was selected in the 15th round of the AFL Draft. The then-23-year-old actually chose to sign with the Chargers rather than join the NFL as the Chicago Bears also drafted him in the fourth round that same year.

Ladd's decision paid off and he was an instant star the moment he stepped on the field in San Diego. In his first season in the AFL Ladd earned First Team All-Pro honors and finished second in AFL Rookie of the Year voting behind his Chargers teammate who is yet to be mentioned on this list.

Over the next four years, Ladd would be named an AFL All-Star four times and was a First Team All-Pro another two times. His tenure with the Bolts ended after just five seasons due to a contentious relationship with the front office.

2. Jamal Williams

It took Jamal Williams some time to grow into the best version of himself but once he did he was virtually unstoppable. After six seasons in which he was a talented, but just serviceable, defensive tackle he really blossomed into his own starting in the 2004 season.

Williams was named a Second Team All-Pro after a dominant season setting the line of scrimmage. Williams was never a pass-rush specialist but he set the physicality standard the rest of the Chargers defense would follow.

The menacing nose tackle then parlayed that into consecutive Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro seasons. He added another Pro Bowl season in 2007 to give him one of the most decorated defensive careers in franchise history.

Williams has the most games played in franchise history for a defensive tackle with 164. He will always go down as a great story for Chargers fans as he is one of just eight players in NFL history to be taken in the NFL Supplemental Draft and turn into a Pro Bowler.

1. Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson was the first defensive lineman taken by the Chargers in the 1975 NFL Draft. He and Kelcher led a defensive line in San Diego that was menacing, even if the overall defense could not consistently play well.

Johnson spent a decade with the Chargers and racked up some impressive accolades. His prime coincided with Kelcher's prime as his best years were from 1979 through 1982. In that four-year window, Johnson was a four-time Pro Bowler two-time First Team All-Pro and one-time Second Team All-Pro.

Although sacks were not yet an officially counted stat by the league, Johnson still holds the franchise record for the most sacks in one season with 17.5 in 1980. So much for interior defensive linemen not being able to rush the passer.

The top 5 edge rushers in Chargers history

5. Shaun Phillips

Shaun Phillips currently ranks second in franchise history in total sacks but his ceiling was not as high as those above him on this list. He undoubtedly put together an all-time career with the Chargers worth recognizing but didn't reach the same heights as his peers.

That is not meant to downplay the player Phillips was for the Chargers. While he was never someone who was in the conversation for being the best pass rusher in the league, he was a consistent presence for the Chargers for many years.

The one-time Pro Bowler spent nine seasons in San Diego, seven of which he finished with seven or more sacks.

4. Joey Bosa

It might not seem like it in the moment but Joey Bosa is one of the greatest edge rushers to ever don the powder blue. The 2022 and 2023 seasons, marred with injuries and an outburst in the AFC Wild Card Round that gave the Jacksonville Jaguars an easy-to-convert two-point attempt, have not been kind to Bosa's legacy.

But when you remove the emotion attached to these two seasons and look at Bosa's overall accomplishments it is clear he is deserving of a spot on this list. After all, he narrowly trails Phillips for the second-most official sacks in franchise history and will certainly usurp him during the 2024 season.

As far as awards go, Bosa is decorated. The former Buckeye is a four-time Pro Bowler and was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016. If Bosa plays a full season and is healthy, double-digit sacks have been a guarantee.

Sure, Bosa may not have ever lived up to the ceiling attached to being a third-overall pick, but he has been a prominent edge rusher who has a real chance to deepen his legacy if he can stay on the field.

3. Earl Faison

Earl Faison played five years and some change with the Chargers and boy, were those five years spectacular. Faison was the Chargers' first-round pick in the 1961 AFL Draft, joining the team instead of signing with the Detroit Lions, who took him in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft.

Much like his teammate Ernie Ladd, Faison was instantly a force to be reckoned with on the Chargers. In addition to being named the AFL Rookie of the Year over Ladd, Faison also earned First Team All-Pro honors and was named an AFL All-Star.

The talented defensive lineman was named an AFL All-Star in each of the next four seasons while earning a First Team All-Pro nod three times. Like Ladd, Faison did not get along with Chargers' head coach and general manager Sid Gillman and was released during the 1965 season. Faison played three games for the Miami Dolphins in 1965 and that was it for his football career as his back issues caught up with him.

Faison does leave more to be desired when it comes to his unofficial sack total. However, his overall dominance in his era is what earns him a top spot on this list.

2. Fred Dean

Prime Fred Dean is one of the most feared defensive linemen in NFL history. The Pro Football Hall of Famer was the key third member next to Johnson and Kelcher that formed the "Bruise Brothers" in San Diego.

Dean was drafted in the second round of the 1975 NFL Draft three picks after the team selected Kelcher 30th overall. Dean instantly started at defensive end for the Bolts and after five solid years, finally made his first Pro Bowl in 1979.

The 1980 season ended up being Dean's best full season with the Chargers as he finished with 10.5 (unofficial) sacks en route to being named a First Team All-Pro. Unfortunately, Dean's tenure with the Chargers did not last nearly as long as it should have.

Dean played three games for the Chargers in 1981 before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Unhappy with his pay from the Chargers, Dean was able to force his way out of San Diego and earn twice as much with the 49ers. It instantly paid off for San Francisco, as Dean put together another solid year that earned him First Team All-Pro honors.

The Hall of Famer then had the best year of his career (sacks-wise) in 1983. In just the second season where sacks became official, Dean finished with 17.5 sacks as one last postage stamp on his Canton-deserving career.

1. Leslie O'Neal

The franchise's all-time leader in sacks has to be considered the greatest edge rusher in team history (and the greatest defensive lineman, overall, for what it's worth).

Leslie O'Neal may not have any All-Pro nods to his name but that has more to do with the flawed voting system (and who else played in his era) than it does with how great he was. For nearly a decade, O'Neal gave the Chargers a dominant presence whose pressure on the quarterback was key during a successful period in franchise history.

O'Neal finished with nine or more sacks in eight of his nine played seasons (he spent 10 seasons with the Chargers but missed his entire sophomore season with injury). The only exception to the nine-sack rule was the year in which he came off the injury and played just nine games.

The eighth overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl six times in total with the Bolts.

The top 10 defensive linemen in Chargers history by sacks (unofficial)