5 biggest LA Chargers draft needs for the 2022 NFL Draft
By Jason Reed
Biggest LA Chargers draft needs: 3. Defensive tackle
The LA Chargers really struggled against the run this season and it was ultimately the reason why the team did not make the playoffs. The Chargers could not make a key stop on two separate third-down runs against the Raiders, one on third and 23 and one on third and four, that ultimately led to the Raiders scoring 10 points.
If the Chargers just make one of those stops then we wouldn't be writing about the 2022 NFL Draft and would instead be previewing the team's Wild-Card Round matchup.
The Chargers need to bolster the unit upfront and they have two players that they are going to have to potentially replace along the way. Justin Jones and Linval Joseph are both free agents and there is a chance that neither is a Charger next season.
However, Jones was the best run defender the team had so he is a must-sign free agent this offseason. It is for the best if the Chargers let Joseph walk away and the team is most likely going to bolster the depth of the defensive front in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In a perfect world, the Chargers can cheaply replace Linval Joseph for a better veteran defensive tackle like Akiem Hicks. Then, that makes defensive tackle a less pressing need and the Chargers could draft a true run-stuffer in the mid-rounds. You can find a lot of value, especially if you are looking for a run-stuffer, in the third and fourth round.
This would create a rotation that has Jones, Hicks, a run-stuffing rookie and Jerry Tillery as the fourth option. Tillery would play primarily in passing downs with the rookie primarily playing in running downs.
There is also the potential of the Chargers just taking Jordan Davis in the first round. Davis is one of the best nose tackles we have seen in recent memory, but with two bigger needs, Davis may end up elsewhere.