4 Chargers free agents that will be replaced in 2023 NFL Draft

Bryce Callahan

Bryce Callahan was another veteran signing that the LA Chargers made last offseason that paid huge dividends for the team. The Chargers did not draft a cornerback early in the 2023 NFL Draft so they did not have anyone to start at slot corner. With that in mind, the team went out and signed Callahan to a one-year deal.

Callahan was coming off of a down year in which he was injured but the potential was obviously still there. His previous ties with Brandon Staley got him in the building and it quickly became clear in the 2022 season that he was going to play a prominent role in the secondary.

Callahan did everything the Chargers could have asked for in the slot. That being said, his age and the tendency for cornerbacks over 30 to fall off without warning makes it obvious that the team should move on in 2023.

LA may already have its starting slot corner in Ja'Sir Taylor, who showed a lot of potential both in defense and on special teams last season. However, just because Taylor is ready for a bigger role does not mean the Chargers will ignore cornerback in the draft.

Brandon Staley is a defensive-minded head coach after all and as long as he is partly calling the shots the team is going to invest in the defense. With J.C. Jackson's injury presenting an unclear future, drafting more corner depth in the 2023 NFL Draft seems likely.