The Los Angeles Chargers cornerbacks went into a state of rebuild this off-season. The J.C. Jackson saga ended in flames as he got traded mid-season. Then Michael Davis, one of the two remaining starters, was allowed to walk this past off-season. That left Asante Samuel Jr and slot corner Ja’Sir Taylor… and not much else. Some new additions were going to have to be made. And while that did happen, questions still remain going into training camp/the preseason. Namely: who is starting opposite Samuel Jr?
2024 Los Angeles Chargers Cornerbacks Preview
The Guaranteed Starter: Asante Samuel Jr
This is essentially the only cornerback on the team who’s a 100% lock for a starting spot (though one other comes close). While not among the ranks of the league’s best cornerbacks, he’s been a generally reliable player over three years for the Chargers. He’s had at least 11 passes defended each year. His most notable performance came in the Wildcard loss to the Jaguars where he picked off Trevor Lawrence three times in the first half.
Asante Samuel Jr is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so he will be playing for a good contract and also, hopefully, to ensure the Chargers keep him long-term. Though frankly, the Chargers may not have a lot of other alternatives depending on how the rest of the cornerbacks do.
Kristian Fulton: Slot or CB2?
Kristian Fulton was the lone free agency acquisition at cornerback for the Chargers. He’s played a bit of both outside and slot in the past with the Tennessee Titans. He had a solid year in 2021 but was unable to replicate that the next two years – though being bogged down by injuries last year did not help matters.
The question is where he will end up playing (actually, that’s the question with a lot of these guys). He might be better off in the slot but a potential lack of alternatives could force the Chargers to start him on the outside instead. There is a lot here that will depend on how this year’s rookies do.
The Rookies: Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still
The Chargers double-dipped in the fifth round of the Draft at cornerback. There’s an argument to be made that they should have addressed the position earlier in the Draft, but here we are. Tarheeb Still was tied for sixth most interceptions nationally in 2023 (five of them), and while he wasn’t the most accoladed cornerback out there, that stat is nothing to scoff at. Cam Hart is a bit more of a potential hit-or-miss depending on the matchup, but he was able to mostly shut down Marvin Harrison Jr in their 2023 matchup.
The question is how much of a role these two will play. It’s very likely at least one of them will have to take on a starting or heavy rotational role this year – again, because of the lack of alternatives. If one or both of them turn out to be a diamond in the rough, that would solve a lot of the Chargers troubles at the position. Both are players to watch in training camp and preseason. If either are able to stand out sufficiently, that one could end up at the CB2 spot. If Hart is able to show more of the play he did against Harrison Jr, that could help him get there.
Depth: Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard
Ja’Sir Taylor is a slight wildcard in the mix. He had a semi-promising few appearances in his rookie year but did not live up to that in Year 2 – to the point where he got benched from his slot corner position at one point. With two rookies in the mix, he may not even be a lock for the roster anymore – depending on how many the Chargers keep on the roster.
Deane Leonard is still hanging around in the mix for one of those last spots as well. He started a few games last year, but did not really impress and is now possibly fighting for a roster spot. Jesse Minter did say that Leonard had been a standout in practice so far, so that may be something to watch.
Everyone Else
The remaining cornerbacks are essentially just training camp bodies and/or fighting for spots on the practice squad. Chris Wilcox was on the practice squad last year, so he’ll be fighting to keep that spot. That leaves Matt Hankins and undrafted free agents Robert Kennedy and Zamari Walton. All of them will have an uphill battle to get anywhere past the practice squad.
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