These 5 NFL teams created dynamic duos from the draft
Los Angeles Chargers: Derwin James and Nasir Adderly
Most defensive backs fell in this draft as the first round was mostly filled with front seven players on the defensive side of the ball. While there were a few exceptions in first-round, with two safeties and one cornerback coming off the board. The run on defensive backs began in the second-round where there were seven cornerbacks and four safeties drafted.
Somehow, Adderly fell to the bottom of the second-round and the Chargers were able to keep adding to an already impressive secondary. The Chargers finished eighth in Defensive DVOA last season and there secondary played a large role in this with two shutdown corners and a versatile safety core. Adderly only added to this versatility with the ability to play excellent coverage and close the gap quickly on running plays.
The chargers put this versatility on display last year in the playoffs against the Ravens. They were able to shut down the Ravens’ offense by playing a bevy of defensive backs in a variety of roles to eliminate the Ravens’ gameplan. Adderly only adds to this versatility as he is able to play multiple roles alongside athletic freak and Swiss army knife, Derwin James.
The Chargers are building a defense for the future of the NFL with players who can adapt to multiple roles and succeed by mixing and matching schemes without changing personnel. While the AFC West boasts some intriguing offenses, with Mahomes and Co. in KC and the Raiders will be interesting to watch with the additions of Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, but the Chargers seem ready to take on this challenge.