If you read my Pre Draft 2025 team preview of the Los Angeles Chargers along with my 2025 Post Draft 2025 Offensive Outlook of the team you could see that I thought they were a very stout defensive team. In the 2024 regular season the Chargers allowed the fewest points out of any team in the NFL. This was despite defensive coordinator Jesse Minter being in his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator, despite it being Jim Harbaugh’s first time coaching in the NFL in a decade, and the Chargers with mostly the same defensive personnel finishing bottom 10 in the NFL in points allowed the previous season. Although the Chargers do not have much room to improve defensively, I will go into detail here regarding how the defense looked last season and how it projects to look like next season as well. Below you can find the Chargers’ major defensive statistics/metrics from this past regular season.
Chargers 2024 Major Defensive Statistics/Metrics
1st in points per game allowed
11th in yards per game allowed
6th in overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus
As you can see from the above data, the Chargers were one of the premier defensive teams in the NFL this past season leading the league in points allowed. However, with regards to the remaining two metrics they certainly have room to improve. With Harbaugh going into year 2 with the Chargers and getting more acclimated to coaching in the NFL again, along with head coach Jesse Minter going into his second season as an NFL defensive coordinator they can certainly improve in a large way. Below I will provide a full unit by unit breakdown of the Chargers on the defensive side of the ball. I will list each player in each unit for the team in the 2024 season. With each player that was listed I will provide the defense grade that they were given by Pro Football Focus over the course of the season along with my own subjective grade that indicates how strong of players I feel they are in totality outside of just the 2024 season. Beginning below with the front seven of the team.
2024 Chargers Front Seven
DL – Poona Ford – (5/146) defense grade in 2024 over 604 snaps, B+ to A-
DL – Morgan Fox – (98/146) defense grade in 2024 over 577 snaps, C to C+
DL – Otito Ogbonnia – (136/146) defense grade in 2024 over 506 snaps, C-
DL – Teair Tart – (14/146) defense grade in 2024 over 349 snaps, C+ to B-
DL – Scott Matlock – (108/146) defense grade in 2024 over 137 snaps, C
DL – Justin Eboigbe – (144/146) defense grade in 2024 over 26 snaps, D+
ED – Tuli Tuipulotu – (55/135) defense grade in 2024 over 734 snaps, B-
ED – Khalil Mack – (5/135) defense grade in 2024 over 617 snaps, A to A-
ED – Bud Dupree – (130/135) defense grade in 2024 over 547 snaps, C to C+
ED – Joey Bosa – (67/135) defense grade in 2024 over 457 snaps, B+
ED – Caleb Murphy – (100/135) defense grade in 2024 over 12 snaps, C
LB – Daiyan Henley – (26/92) defense grade in 2024 over 998 snaps, B
LB – Denzel Perryman – (57/92) defense grade in 2024 over 340 snaps, C+ to B-
LB – Troy Dye – (30/92) defense grade in 2024 over 318 snaps, C+
LB – Junior Colson – (90/92) defense grade in 2024 over 218 snaps, D
LB – Nick Niemann – (22/92) defense grade in 2024 over 44 snaps, C+ to B-
Chargers Major Front Seven Statistics/Metrics from 2024 Regular Season
16th in pass rush grade according to Pro Football Focus
6th in run defense grade according to Pro Football Focus
14th in rushing yards per game allowed
6th in sacks
As you can see from the above, the Los Angeles Chargers had a very stout front seven but one that still has some room to improve. Players listed as DL were the interior defensive lineman for the team this past season and outside of standout Poona Ford, who himself struggles with consistency, the rest of the players who were listed as DL left much to be desired. Poona Ford has since departed the team as well to their cross-town rival Los Angeles Rams. Players listed as ED were the edge defenders of the team and the Chargers outside of standout Khalil Mack also left much to be desired in that position as well. Joey Bosa is highly talented but has struggled with injuries in his career including this past season. Outside of Mack who is one of the premier defensive players in the NFL, and Bosa who is very talented but who struggles with injury including this past season, the rest of the edge defenders on the team were average to mediocre this past season. However, Tuli Tuipulotu was drafted very highly in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and in his first two seasons in the NFL he has looked stout. Perhaps as he heads into his third season in the NFL he can begin to emerge as a true star in the league. The linebacking core is solid but not spectacular led by Daiyan Henley who has looked strong in his first two seasons in the NFL as a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. 2024 third round pick Junior Colson really struggled as a rookie but perhaps going into year 2 he can begin to play better.
Heading into the 2025 season, the Chargers have made a few key transactions regarding their front seven. They have moved off veteran pass rusher Joey Bosa and drafted a few players in the 2025 draft and made one marquee signing in free agency as well. Not to mention the aforementioned departure of standout veteran Poona Ford. The marquee signing they made was bringing on veteran defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand to essentially replace Bosa off the edge. They made a few other under the radar signings and drafted a few front seven pieces as well this offseason. Da’Shawn Hand is consistently an above average to a well above average player on the defensive front and the Chargers are optimistic that his presence will bolster their defensive line. The Chargers projected 2025 front seven is listed below.
Chargers Projected 2025 Front Seven
ED – Da’Shawn Hand – B to B+
DL– Teair Tart – C+ to B-
DL – Otito Ogbonnia – C-
ED – Tuli Tuipulotu – B-
LB – Daiyan Henley – B
LB – Junior Colson – D
ED – Khalil Mack – A to A-
ED – Tuli Tuipulotu – B-
NT – Jamaree Caldwell – 2025 third rounder
ED – NaQuan Jones – C to C+
LB – Kyle Kennard – 2025 fourth rounder
LB – Troy Dye – C+
LB – Denzel Perryman – C+ to B-
LB- Bud Dupree – C to C+
DL – Scott Matlock – C
NT – TeRah Edwards – UDFA 2025
ED – Josh Fuga – UDFA 2025
LB – Caleb Murphy – D+ to C-
LB – Kanai Mauga – 11 career snaps, UDFA 2022
LB – Del’Shawn Phillips – C+
LB – Tre’mon Morris-Brash – UDFA 2024, 0 career snaps
LB – Kylan Guidry – UDFA 2025
LB – Marlowe Wax – UDFA 2025
LB – Garmon Randolph – UDFA 2025
The Chargers’ front seven next season will remain mostly the same outside of the addition of Da’Shawn Hand who is set to replace the production of Poona Ford and Joey Bosa. Outside of that in order to bolster the front seven the team just added some depth pieces such as 3rd round nose tackle Jamaree Caldwell, 4th round linebacker Kyle Kennard, edge rusher NaQuan Jones, and linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips. As stated previously, the front seven will remain mostly the same next season outside of the addition of Hand in place of Bosa/Ford. The improvements that Harbaugh and the Chargers are hoping to see from the front seven stem from firstly Hand staying healthier than Bosa did a season ago. Along with young players in the front seven such as Tuli Tuipulotu, Daiyan Henley, and Junior Colson continuing to improve. The front seven will likely produce at a similar level as it did last season. Perhaps there could be some small improvements as the young players continue to grow and if Hand stays healthier and gives the team better production than Bosa did this past season. But likewise, the departure of standout Poona Ford on the interior of the defensive front might comprise the Chargers’ front seven next season. As they have yet to acquire a player who I think is capable of replacing his production. I have conducted a similar evaluation of the Chargers’ secondary which can be found below as well.
Chargers 2024 Major Regular Season Secondary Statistics/Metrics
7th in passing yards per game allowed
4th in coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus
As you can see from the above two metrics, the Chargers’ secondary was amongst the premier in the league this past season. The fact that from a talent standpoint the Chargers were pretty mediocre in the front seven but still led the league in points allowed goes to show you the prowess of their back end. I have conducted a similar player by player analysis in the secondary for the Los Angeles Chargers for the 2024 season and also headed into 2025 as well which can be found below.
Chargers 2024 Secondary Players
S – Derwin James Jr – (7/104) defense grade in 2024 over 986 snaps, A to A-
S – Elijah Molden – (17/104) defense grade in 2024 over 761 snaps, B to B-
S – Alohi Gilman – (84/104) defense grade in 2024 over 658 snaps, C+ to B-
S – Tony Jefferson – (18/104) defense grade in 2024 over 224 snaps, B to B-
S – Marcus Maye – (22/104) defense grade in 2024 over 405 snaps, B to B-
S – Eddie Jackson – (42/104) defense grade in 2024 over 42 snaps, C+ to B-
S – Kendall Williamson – poor in 19 snaps, D-
S – AJ Finley – (27/104) defense grade in 2024 over 50 snaps, C+ to B-
CB – Tarheeb Still – (19/128) defense grade in 2024 over 785 snaps, B+
CB – Kristian Fulton – (26/128) defense grade in 2024 over 760 snaps, B
CB- Cam Hart – (93/128) defense grade in 2024 over 460 snaps, C
CB – Asante Samuel Jr – (88/128) defense grade in 2024 over 234 snaps, C+
CB- Jasir Taylor – (92/128) defense grade in 2024 over 353 snaps, C
CB – Deane Leonard – (49/128) defense grade in 2024 over 71 snaps, C to C+
CB – Dicaprio Bootle – only 4 snaps in 2024, C
CB – Eli Apple – (7/128) defense grade in 2024 over 47 snaps, C to C+
As you can see from the above data, the Chargers had some talent in their back end in particular Derwin James Jr and Tarheeb Still. James Jr is amongst the best overall defensive players in the sport and is in the discussion for being the best overall safety in the NFL as well. The Chargers had a few other safeties who gave the team strong production alongside James Jr this past season such as Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson, and Marcus Maye. Alohi Gilman, Eddie Jackson, and AJ Finley are also very capable players at the safety spot as well. Last season the Chargers’ safety unit being led by Derwin James Jr and being complemented by some other players who are also very talented, was amongst the premier safety units in the NFL. The combination of Derwin James and Elijah Molden formed one of the premier starting safety tandems in the NFL this past season and the safety unit for the Chargers this past season was also very deep as they had five players behind James and Gilman capable of giving the team strong production. The cornerback unit was also a strong suit of the team this past season led by Tarheeb Still and Kristian Fulton. Still and Fulton as the team’s top two corners both graded as well above average in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus this past season. The Chargers this past season however were unable to get strong production from a third cornerback in the nickel role. The team also lacked depth at corner as no player outside of the first two players in the unit did I even evaluate to be in the B- range. Heading into next season, the Chargers have made some changes to the back end of their defense. As several players who provided strong depth are not currently on the team as of now remaining unsigned free agents. While one of the team’s primary starters has since departed the team as well. AJ Finley who provided some depth at safety has left to the Seahawks while Kristian Fulton who was a standout starter at cornerback has signed with the Chiefs. While Asante Samuel Jr, Dicaprio Bootle, Eddie Jackson, Eli Apple, and Marcus Maye all remain free agents as well. The depth in the secondary is not as concerning as the loss of Kristian Fulton. Fulton was highly effective starting at cornerback for the Chargers this past season and Los Angeles has not acquired a player since that is capable of replacing his production. They have signed former Steeler Donte Jackson who is currently slated to start in Fulton’s place next season but throughout his career he has not proven to be the caliber of player that Fulton has proven to be. The Chargers secondary will likely not be as good next season but given the fact that it was one of the premier secondaries in the NFL this past season even a slight comedown wouldn’t be all too bad. The projected secondary lineup for the Chargers heading into the 2025 season can be found below.
2025 Projected Secondary for Los Angeles Chargers
LCB – Donte Jackson – C to C+
SS – Derwin James Jr – A to A-
FS – Alohi Gilman – C+ to B-
RCB – Cam Hart – C
NB – Tarheeb Still – B+ to A-
CB – Deane Leonard – C+ to B-
SS – Tony Jefferson – B-
FS – Elijah Molden – B to B-
CB – Benjamin St Juste – C-
NB – Jasir Taylor – C
CB – Trikweze Bridges – 2025 7th rounder
SS – R.J Mickens – 2025 6th rounder
FS – Kendall Williamson – D-
CB – Nikko Reed – UDFA 2025
NB – Myles Purchase – UDFA 2025
CB – Jordan Oladokun – UDFA 2025
SS – Jaylen Jones – UDFA 2025
FS – Emory Johnson – UDFA 2024, 0 career snaps
CB – Eric Rogers – UDFA 2025
Elijah Molden is currently injured but I would imagine that once he gets healthier, he will replace Alohi Gilman as a starter on the depth chart. As Molden because of injury is currently listed as a backup. Comparing the 2024 secondary to the projected 2025 secondary for the Chargers, the big difference is the absence of Kristan Fulton and the fact that the Chargers’ safety unit will be less deep. The latter of the two concerns is not as concerning because Los Angeles perhaps had a surplus of safety depth this past season and having less depth will not necessarily harm them as they still are pretty deep at safety with the presence of Gilman and Jefferson. Replacing Fulton will be a concern because the Chargers last season were led by two very strong cornerbacks with the third cornerback position being questionable. Now that Fulton has departed the lack of strong corner play becomes even more concerning.
Overall, the Chargers were the NFL’s top scoring defense this past season and project to be around as good next season as well. However, my concerns with the Chargers defense in 2024 and heading into 2025 can be described in the following fashion. Although Los Angeles led the league in points allowed this past season, the Eagles’ defense was clearly better as in the regular season Philadelphia allowed just one more point and was graded much higher. In terms of the overall grade that Pro Football Focus gives to defenses, the Chargers were sixth while Philadelphia was first by a margin. Part of what made the defending Champion Eagles as good as they were, was the fact that their defense delineated and separated from the remaining elite defenses in the NFL. There were 8-9 defenses in the 2024 season that one could certainly say were elite defenses. The Chargers were jumbled in with the rest of the group while the Eagles’ defense separated from the pack given how Philadelphia was graded as the best overall defense in the NFL by a margin. The Chargers along with several others are seeking to replicate the Eagles defense in that regard heading into next season. But as of now I doubt the Chargers’ ability to do that although it would not surprise me if they did. The Chargers from a personnel standpoint on defense in my estimation are worse than they were a season ago. As Da’Shawn Hand was signed to replace Joey Bosa and I believe he is capable of replacing Bosa’s production. However, the Chargers also lost interior defensive lineman Poona Ford in the offseason cycle as well and have not signed a player capable of replacing his production as of yet. In the secondary the Chargers lost cornerback Kristian Fulton who was highly effective for the team this past season and have not since signed a player capable of replacing his production either. Perhaps if young players step up their game, the Chargers can see an offset in the talent lost. From a personnel perspective on defense the Chargers in my estimation project to be slightly worse than they were this past season. However, it is a coaching league more than it is a personnel league and the Chargers project to be better if not much better from a defensive coaching perspective heading into next season. As Jim Harbaugh is going into year 2 as the head coach of the Chargers, which is also his second season coaching in the NFL after a decade long-hiatus as well. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is also going into his second season not just as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator but as an NFL defensive coordinator. The Chargers can expect to improve defensively because of the improvements they will likely see offensively as well. The Chargers’ offense stagnated with regularity this past season, often putting the defense in comprised positions. The Chargers will be better if not much better offensively next season putting the defense in better situations to succeed. The improvements the Chargers can expect to see with regards to their defensive coaching and with how the offense will likely put the defense in better spots, I think will certainly offset whatever drop off they potentially will see with their personnel. Given all that I certainly expect the Chargers to field an elite defense next season but whether or not the defense can take the next step and delineate from the pack like Philadelphia’s defense did a season ago, is a question mark.
