Los Angeles Chargers: Early top positions of need for 2021 NFL Draft
By Ian Higgins
Defensive Tackle
2020 Starters: Linval Joseph, Justin Jones
With little young talent within the interior defensive line, the Los Angeles Chargers needs to find a player who can support their exterior rushers by collapsing the pocket. Numerous salary-saving moves and low-ceiling free agents have hampered the position group and it’s time that Bosa had an interior pass-rush alongside him.
Los Angeles has developed a defensive identity of collecting athletic marvels and allowing them to do what they do best. Derwin James, Kenneth Murray, and even Joey Bosa have led this movement. The 2021 Draft has a handful of these players along the defensive line, but the best of the lot is built in the mold of and hails from the same program as the NFL’s current premier defensive tackle.
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Jalen Twyman DT
University of Pittsburgh defensive tackle Jalen Twyman has been an interior monster for the Panthers at only six-foot-two, 290 pounds. Through his 2019 sophomore season, Twyman racked up 41 tackles (12 for loss), and 10.5 sacks. Pittsburgh already has a defensive tackle of similar stature dominating the NFL (Aaron Donald) and could add a second to the collection with Twyman.
The current consensus number one defensive tackle of the 2021 NFL Draft is Florida State’s Marvin Wilson, a six-foot-five 304 pounds behemoth with the ability to move mountains. Such physical dominance is a welcome sight to many defensive units, but the 4-3 defensive scheme and personnel fit dictate that Twyman would be a superior player in Los Angeles with his quickness and pass-rushing.