Los Angeles Chargers: Five players with the most to prove in 2018

4. Uchenna Nwosu, LB

The only rookie on this list, second-round pick Uchenna Nwosu from USC has the most to prove out of all the rookies in the Chargers draft class.

First-round pick Derwin James was an absolute steal and will have no problem playing up to his worth as a first rounder. Even if James does not play up to full expectations, he will still be a great pick from the 17th overall slot.

Later picks have less pressure as the Chargers obviously invested less in them. While third-round pick Justin Jones was drafted to help shore up the run in the middle of the defensive line, he has far less pressure as he has Brandon Mebane and Corey Liuget to lean onto.

Nwosu, on the other hand, is being brought in to be the hard-hitter of this Chargers’ defense that will help stop the run. Nwosu will likely line up at outside linebacker with Denzel Perryman playing in the middle.

There, Nwosu is expected to be a playmaker on the edge as well as a threat to get to the quarterback behind either Joey Bosa or Melvin Ingram.

Nwosu has all the physical gifts to be a great player in the NFL, however, there may be some ironing out in his game to reach his full potential. What the Chargers needed was someone to instantly plug into the defense and make plays happen. While Nwosu can do that, it may also take some time.

It is just interesting as the Chargers probably could have landed Nwosu later in the second or even in the third round. If the team would’ve traded back or simply waited this would be a great pick. However, picking him ahead of what he was projected ultimately caused pressure on Nwosu.