Los Angeles Chargers Scouting Report: Roquan Smith

As a team in dire need of linebacker help, the Los Angeles Chargers should seriously consider drafting the top linebacker in the draft.

In 2017, the Los Angeles Chargers linebacker core was among the team’s most glaring weaknesses. Going into the season, it was already a unit devoid of the necessary depth required to be a truly respectable position group. So when the one bright spot of the group, inside linebacker Denzel Perryman, went down with a torn ligament in the beginning of the season, the situation became dire.

In the end, the Los Angeles Chargers defense had one of the league’s worst run defenses but was able to survive, relying on their exceptional pass rush and secondary.

Going into the 2018 season, the team will be bringing back the aforementioned Denzel Perryman, Jatavis Brown, who regressed in his second season, Kyle Emmanuel, a 4-3 defensive end turned 3-4 outside linebacker turned 4-3 outside linebacker (I know what you’re thinking and you’re right, it makes zero sense), along with several backup level players.

If you read that and thought it sounds like a not-so-desirable situation to be in, then you would be correct. It is super not-so-desirable.

While the current state of the team’s linebacking core is bleak, it is not one without hope. It will be quite easy for the team to address this problem in free agency, and most importantly, the draft. While there are many prospects the team could look at to fill this void, perhaps none would do a better job at just that than University of Georgia linebacker, Roquan Smith.

Smith is a 6’1, 225-pound linebacker who is most known for his elite athleticism. This athleticism is exactly what the Chargers’ need from the position. Smith will without a doubt be a first-round pick, but because of the concerns about his size, he may end up being available when the Chargers’ pick in the opening round.

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In his final season with the Georgia Bulldogs, Smith earned a consensus All-American selection. On top of that, he was also awarded the 2017 Dick Butkus award, given to the top linebacker in college football, and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award. He is coming into the league well decorated in terms of individual accomplishments.

Along with these individual awards, Smith was an integral part to the success of the 2017 Georgia Bulldogs as a whole. The team touted one of the best defenses in college football, going on to become SEC Champions and make it all the way to the national championship.

Despite his flaws, Smith fits Gus Bradley’s 4-3 defensive scheme perfectly. Any 4-3 scheme, but especially Bradley’s, relies heavily on athletic linebackers that can cover in space. On numerous occasions last season, we saw the team get burnt deep because players like Kyle Emmanuel would end up matched up with inside receivers. If they were to draft Smith, this would be far less of an issue as he can hold his own with his top-tier speed at the position.

He could fill a role for the Chargers similar to that of Deion Jones in Atlanta. As the heir apparent to Gus Bradley in Seattle, now Atlanta Falcons head coach, Dan Quinn, incorporates a very similar defensive scheme with his team that Bradley does in Los Angeles. Thus, making the Deion Jones comparison very realistic.

In the case that the team does draft Smith, they will have a core of Smith himself, Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, Jason Verrett, Casey Hayward, Denzel Perryman, and Desmond King. This would be perhaps the most talented, young defense in the entire NFL.

Next: Running backs the Chargers can draft in 2018

Only time will tell what route the Los Angeles Chargers choose to go in repairing their linebacker core, but if they choose to embark down the path that includes pursuing Roquan Smith, they will have found themselves their star linebacker of the future.

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