Joey Bosa has little to no say in what the brain trust of the LA Chargers intends on doing in this year’s NFL Draft. The multiple-time Pro Bowler simply throws on his helmet, locks his eyes on the opposing team’s quarterback, and proceeds to run him over. As it turns out, he’s the only one that follows his job description.
Bosa has been a good soldier. He fights through double and triple teams on a weekly basis and has single-handedly attempted to fix the Chargers outrageously poor defense by himself. While we tip our cap to him and appreciate his efforts, it’s about time the Chargers got him an equally disruptive friend.
At no point has the Chargers put any true effort into getting Bosa a running mate. In five of his six seasons, we have to ignore 2018 since he was sidelined with a foot injury, Bosa has led the Chargers in total sacks. Also, only once has Bosa had a teammate who registered double digits in the sacks department. To make matters worse, Bosa has led the Chargers in quarterback hits in four of his six seasons in LA.
To sum it up, Bosa has essentially become a one man wrecking crew, something we admire but it also places both Bosa and the Chargers in a lose-lose situation. Just this past season, LA finished 29th in points allowed per game, even worse than their 23rd ranking the season prior.
Enough is enough. With the 2022 NFL Draft only a few months away, the Chargers will first appear on the board with the 17th overall pick. In some cases, moving up the draft ladder can be nearly impossible. Team's value those high draft picks and will do whatever they can to get their man. Still, with that said, this draft is a bit different.
According to multiple talent evaluators, this year's draft won't feature any true starters from the quarterback position. But, they are stockpiled with plenty of defensive talent. Defensive linemen Aidan Hutchinson out of Michigan figures to go extremely early in the first round. But, since he isn't a quarterback, could the Chargers entice a team to allow them to move up and grab him? While we aren't sure what that answer is, the Chargers should be doing everything in their power to find out.
This past season, Hutchinson was arguably the best defender in the game. He racked up 62 total tackles, 16.5 for loss, and 14 sacks. That sort of production is something Bosa desperately needs with him on the frontlines.
It's a bit of a longshot to go from the 17th overall pick to a top-three selection but it isn't impossible as long as the Chargers are willing to trade multiple picks in the process. By all accounts, the offense with Justin Herbert running the show will be just fine. It's the defensive side of the ball that needs help. Bosa is great, a truly one-of-a-kind talent but it's about time the Chargers franchise got him a player who could be just as dominant as him.
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