San Diego Chargers Offseason Position Needs, Part 11: Defensive End

The final position on this off-season series, defensive ends falls into the same situation as safety and inside linebacker.

The three-man rotation of Luis Castillo, Jacques Cesaire, and Alphonso Boone is solid but ultimately unremarkable.  Travis Johnson also remains in the equation but thus far he seems to fit into the equation as a multi-tool backup along the defensive line rather than a regular rotation guy.

For the team to truly benefit from an addition, it would need to be a player able to supplant Cesaire in the starting lineup.

The first opportunity San Diego would likely have available to address this would be with their second round pick.

Alex Carrington and Tyson Alualu both project as solid second-round prospects though Alualu looks to be a much more dynamic player.

Alualu measures out at a solid 6’3’’, 294, with impressive speed and a knack for making plays.  He would lend a bit of excitement to the blue-collar defense and give the linebacking crew help by showing some ability to get to the quarterback.

If San Diego elects to stand pat at nose tackle, or feels they can wait for round three to secure the team’s next starting running back, then he makes the short list of candidates for that second round choice.

Unfortunately, should San Diego wait the pickings drop off fast at this position.  Lamarr Houston would be a great addition that would help immensely against the run, but is one of many ‘tweener’ picks who does not warrant such a high pick in the second, but will likely be off the board that late in the third round.

After that there is little to be had across the mid-rounds, few names in the late third to fourth round range impress, but by San Diego’s later picks some value can be had.

Corey Peters has good size and strength, and a sub five 40 time is always impressive in a 300 pounder.  His technique is raw, but in the short term he should prove able to supplant the aging Boone while potentially taking over for Cesaire after a few years in the system.

That he could be had with one of San Diego’s two fifth-round picks means he would be a low-cost investment for the team.

Even later than Peters is Lorenzo Washington of Alabama.  A potential seventh-round pick, he is more NFL-ready than Peters, having spent the last two years under defensive coach Nick Saban as a 3-4 defensive end, eliminating the transition from tackle most rookie’s must undergo at the position.

He also has much less upside however.  He would make a solid backup, able to step in an replace Boone quickly, but the he does not look to be an eventual playmaker at the position.  He can occupy blockers well and hold his ground. Ultimately he is built to open space for linebackers to make plays, however, not to make plays of his own.

Defensive end stands as a interesting pick to look at for the Chargers.  With outside linebackers looked upon to provide the pass-rush in a 3-4, the play does not need to be game-breaking from this position, and the current ham-and-egg crew do an admirable job of handling the workload with very little flash or sizzle.

This value relativity makes it hard to justify an early pick at the position, especially with so many other major and minor needs.  Yet the group as a whole feels slightly lacking, and with Boone’s age and Castillo’s injury history an additional find at the position would be welcomed.

The debate over the higher-upside Peters vs. the shorter learning curve of Washington probably boils down to what value can be had with those two fifth round picks.

Rounds one and two generally focus on filling immediate needs while three and four are often about finding those high-value players who slip through the cracks and drop a round (or two) below expectation.

The fifth round straddles a gray area where a draft fallers and project players intersect.  This means almost any position becomes open to consideration, not just immediate needs.  With so many options to choose from because of this, Peters probably slides by and Washington is brought on board, saving the pursuit of a potential starter until the well-stocked third round of San Diego’s 2010 draft.