Los Angeles Chargers: Early top positions of need for 2021 NFL Draft
By Ian Higgins
Linebacker
2020 Starters: Kyzir White, Denzel Perryman (FA), Kenneth Murray
Why would Los Angeles spend back-to-back first-round selections on linebackers? Because there is never enough speed in the center of the defense. With inside linebacker Denzel Perryman set to hit free agency and likely commanding a raise from his previous $6 million mark, the Los Angeles Chargers need affordable alternatives.
Kenneth Murray and Kyzir White both measure comparably to Perryman, offering in-house solutions to the impending absence. Both of these players possess physical profiles typical of interior linebackers, and Murray has shown his ability to track ballcarriers from hash to hash. Moving one of these two to the inside though leaves a void on the weak side which gives Los Angeles an opportunity to add another superb athlete.
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Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah OLB
Notre Dame ‘Rover’ Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been a cross-field tackling machine for the Fighting Irish. With 4.3 speed and the ability to drop into coverage, Koramoah crosses the lines between linebacker and safety to create an intimidating defensive mismatch. Among the athletes within the 2021 NFL Draft, Owusu-Koramoah is likely the most abstract of the lot and provides an insight into the future of football.
Alternative linebacking prospects for the Los Angeles Chargers include conventional inside linebackers such as Micah Parsons, Dylan Moses, and Chazz Surratt. None of these players can bring the same defense-changing speed of Owusu-Koramoah.