Top 5 Chargers positions that need more depth after first wave of free agency

4. Safety

At this point, most have seen the connections and direct links between Brandon Staley pursuing his former green dot safety in John Johnson III. We'll see where that negotiation may land.

In the meantime, the Chargers' starting safeties are Derwin James and Alohi Gilman. After Nasir Adderley was effectively benched as his usage dropped, Gilman stepped into his place and performed adequately.

But my guess would be that Staley sees him as someone that should be in the secondary rotation as opposed to starting. The aforementioned Adderley could've probably been a cheap re-sign option had he not retired.

Raheem Layne, JT Woods, and Mark Webb make up the depth behind James and Gilman currently. There is a lot of organizational investment in Woods' success given the high draft pick used last year, but it would make more sense for the Chargers to fortify depth than entirely bet on a breakout campaign.

While James was largely healthy in 2023, he has also missed extended time with foot and knee inj before. There's no one that can replace the Pro Bowl safety in the event that something does go wrong, but the Chargers have to be more prepared for the potential possibility than they currently are.