Who Will Win San Diego Chargers' Slot Cornerback Battle?

With offenses so accustomed to spreading the field with three or more receivers nowadays, every defense should have at least one capable defender in the slot, if not more.

The position is seldom easy, however. Slot cornerbacks can be asked to do any number of things, from covering a tight end to matching a speedster stride for stride downfield or rushing the quarterback to stuffing the run.

For those willing to take on the assignment, it can mean a lot of playing time, though. Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated constructed an in-depth breakdown on the rise of nickel defenses in the NFL, and he discovered that teams have gone to sub-packages more and more over the years. Simply put—"nickel is the new base defense," according to Farrar.

Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano has gotten with the times in that regard, as his scheme managed to include a healthy dose of nickel and dime concepts in 2014.

But with a new season comes changes to the roster, and no loss was more difficult in the secondary than that of Marcus Gilchrist, who signed with the New York Jets this offseason. Gilchrist switched between safety and slot corner for Pagano, totaling 76 tackles, five passes defensed, an interception, a sack and two forced fumbles in 2014. His numbers were almost identical the year before in a similar role.

Replacing that level of production won't be easy, but the front office added pieces in free agency and in the draft to do so. Jimmy Wilson, a four-year veteran with the Miami Dolphins, was brought on board to compete at strong safety and possibly slot corner. According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson allowed one reception every 10.9 snaps, which was the seventh-best among slot corners last season (h/t profootballspot.com). 

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Patrick Robinson, a five-year veteran and former first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints, will also try his hand at slot corner, where he held opposing quarterbacks to a 57.5 rating, which was fifth-best, according to Pro Football Focus (h/t theadvocate.com). Robinson's biggest test will be staying healthy, having missed 16 games over the past two seasons.

David Richard/Associated Press

A potential dark-horse candidate in the mix for slot corner could be third-round draft choice Craig Mager. His experience puts him at an immediate disadvantage, but the physical tools are there. He's got speed, size and he plays with a chip on his shoulder.

When training camp gets underway this summer, all three should get their opportunities to win that job, but I think Wilson and Robinson will end up sharing the duties. When the Chargers line up in the nickel, Pagano may bring in Jahleel Addae at safety and slide Wilson over to slot corner, and Robinson will serve as the fourth corner in San Diego's dime package.

That's not to say Mager won't factor into the equation at some point. The Chargers wouldn't have drafted him that high if they didn't think he could help them right away. Pagano is eager to add speed to his defense in 2015, per Eric Williams of ESPN.com, and Mager showcased 4.44 speed at the scouting combine.

Pagano also wants turnovers, which Wilson and Robinson have been known to provide. Wilson had four interceptions and three forced fumbles during his time in Miami and Robinson intercepted nine passes with one forced fumble during his run with the Saints.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com