After an incredibly busy offseason, the LA Chargers are sporting one of the most talented rosters in the NFL as training camp begins. This is a team that is built for a Super Bowl run and as long as they don't get in their own way, that is the reality that the Chargers should realize.
The Bolts have arguably the most superstar talent in the entire league. Under center is an elite, MVP-caliber quarterback in Justin Herbert and joining him on offense is a top running back in Austin Ekeler, one of the best receiving duos in the league in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and two All-Pro offensive linemen in Rashawn Slater and Corey Linsley.
Defensively the Chargers have one of the best edge-rushing duos in the league in Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack while also having two superstars in the secondary in Derwin James and J.C. Jackson. The roster is stacked full of superstar talent and we apparently are even overlooking someone.
Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Pro Football Focus recently named every single NFL team's "secret superstar" and the player that they selected for the Chargers was none other than Sebastian Joseph-Day. The Bolts signed the nose tackle to a three-year, $24 million contract in the offseason to add reinforcements against the run.
How Sebastian Joseph-Day can be a secret superstar for the Chargers:
Stopping the run is what gets Joseph-Day's bills paid and that will be what makes him a superstar for the Chargers in 2022. He is not going to compile a huge number of sacks from the interior but the impact he can make against the run is massive.
Joseph-Day led the entire NFL in PFF's run stop rate last season as he recorded 18 stops in 117 snaps. If he can bring that same level of production to the Chargers then it is going to make a massive difference.
Not only is it going to help fix one of the biggest issues that the Bolts had last season but it is also going to make those around him better. Things will open up for both Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and who knows, having a well-above-average nose tackle could even open things up for Jerry Tillery as well.
It is not just about what Joseph-Day can do by himself, which is still a lot. It is also about the impact that he is going to have on the rest of the defensive line, and therefore, the defense as a whole.
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We have to agree with PFF here. Sebastian Joseph-Day is absolutely the Chargers' secret superstar for the 2022 season.