Anyone who watched the Georgia Bulldogs this past season knows that their defense carried them en route to becoming national champions.
Great defenses start in the front seven, and to say that the Bulldogs had playmakers in the front seven would be an understatement. The defensive line and linebacking corps were composed of some of the best athletes.
Now, the majority of those players who made up the group are headed to the NFL, where they should draw the attention of the Chargers, a team in significant desire of reinforcements to aid a horrid run defense from 2021.
Starting upfront in the trenches, the hulking 6-foot-6 and 340 pound Jordan Davis was a major proponent of the No. 1 defense in the nation that allowed just 229.7 yards per game during the regular season.
A handful for opposing offensive linemen, Davis is mightily powerful with long arms to defeat blockers, has the mobility to work through gaps, and the anchor to occupy double teams to allow his fellow teammates to roam freely.
Davis doesn’t offer a lot from a pass-rush standpoint, and there are questions about his stamina, as he played fewer than half of Georgia’s defensive snaps but would be a force against the run right away.
While Davis drew most of the national buzz, the man who lined up next to him was just as, if not more impactful in his own right. That player is Devonte Wyatt.
At 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, Wyatt plays with the first-step quickness, leverage, lateral agility, flexibility, and play strength at the point of attack to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. In addition, he has the versatility to line up anywhere from the zero-to-five technique.
After a solid showing at the Senior Bowl and once he tests at the Combine, Wyatt should stamp himself as a first-rounder. According to Bruce Feldman, Wyatt’s most impressive testing number is a 4.87 40. He also vertical jumped 31 inches and broad jumped 9-3.
Overshadowed by Davis and Wyatt was Travon Walker, who might have the highest upside out of the trio at the next level.
Walker is a 6-foot-5 and 275-pounder who is big, long, and powerful, which he uses to his advantage to control the point of attack and set edges and bench press blockers into the backfield and stop ball carriers in their tracks.
While his pass-rush sequence is still a work in progress, the tools are there. Walker can wreak havoc with his quickness and flexibility coupled with his length and violent hands to get home.
Further, Walker is versatile and can play off the edge or on the interior, something Brandon Staley utilizes with Joey Bosa to create mismatches.
The linebacker position is something that the Chargers could look to upgrade, as Kyzir White’s future with the team remains at large. Drue Tranquill still draws injury concerns. Kenneth Murray is coming off an underwhelming sophomore season.
While adding Georgia’s top linebacker Nakobe Dean, arguably the fastest player at his position in this class, is certainly not out of the picture, addressing the group beyond the first round is the more likely and reasonable route.
Quay Walker and Channing Tindall are two names to remember. Walker has the instincts and physicality that show up in the run game, with good zone coverage skills. Meanwhile, Tindall’s game is all about speed and high energy, which shows up when coming downhill and in space.
All in all, the Chargers would greatly benefit from one or two of these players who helped guide the Bulldogs to hoisting the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy.
