Khalil Mack was one of the biggest additions for the LA Chargers in what ended up being a very busy offseason for Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley. Los Angeles traded a 2022 second-round pick and 2023 sixth-round pick (which the Bears then traded back to LA for two sevenths in 2022) for the former All-Pro.
Chicago is at a rebuilding point and it made sense to get draft capital and get Mack off the books long-term. Meanwhile, the Chargers needed a second great pass-rusher alongside Joey Bosa that could also set the edge against the run. Mack can do both of those things.
While he is one of the biggest names in the sport, it is widely accepted that Mack is past his prime. While most and still seem to expect a great year out of him, pundits have used Mack's age as the driving reason why he will regress in LA. Add in the fact that he got hurt last season and there is an incorrect injury-prone narrative.
Any fans that might have been buying some of this negativity around Mack will be relieved with his latest comments ahead of Week 1. As far as we are concerned, we might see an even better version of Mack than we expected.
Khalil Mack: "This is the best I've felt in a long time at the beginning of the season." #Chargers
— Nick Cothrel (@NickCothrel) September 9, 2022
Khalil Mack can absolutely be a Pro Bowler for the LA Chargers this season.
Khalil Mack genuinely does seem to be one of the most overlooked players on the LA Chargers roster heading into the season. Let's not forget that Mack is being asked to be the second-best edge rusher on this team and even when he does not directly make an impact, he is going to elevate Joey Bosa's game.
That being said, even if the Chargers got Mack's 2020 production it would be a big win. While he only recorded nine sacks in 2020, his pressure numbers were still great. According to Pro Football Focus, he generated 57 pressures on the quarterback while being graded above 90 against the run.
Very few players in the league can offer the pass-rush dynamic that Mack does while also being such a positive impact in the running game, even at his age.
Do we expect Mack to go nuclear and finish the season with 16 sacks? Not at all. But this is a completely rebuilt Chargers defensive line that is going to have much more success than it did last season.
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Mack is going to be at the center of that and if the Chargers' defense hits its ceiling, he will be a big reason why.