The Los Angeles Chargers will look completely different in many ways in 2024 than they did in 2023. One of those areas will be the inside linebacker position.
Last year, the Chargers had a combination of Eric Kendricks and Kenneth Murray at those spots, so two starting spots will need to be replaced. Murray, a first-round pick of the Chargers in 2020, signed with the Tennessee Titans this offseason. Kendricks left after one season in L.A., opting for a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Chargers responded by using their third-round pick on a linebacker who played under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. They also brought back a familiar face in Denzel Perryman. But how will the inside linebacker position look this season? It could require several players.
Here is how things look ahead of camp.
Los Angeles Chargers inside LB depth chart ahead of training camp
Starters
Denzel Perryman, Junior Colson
There will be a lot of movement at this position this season as Harbaugh and Jesse Minter could rotate in several players. It's hard to list Junior Colson, a rookie, as a starter, but he's going to see a lot of playing time this season and the job is his for the taking.
Second string
Troy Dye, Daiyan Henley
Troy Dye is a good veteran option who found success with the Minnesota Vikings. He has a chance to see valuable playing time in certain packages and could push a guy like Perryman for a starting role.
Daiyan Henley was drafted in the third round last year out of Washington State, so the previous regime liked him enough to use a premium pick on him, but his rookie season was spent almost entirely on special teams as he saw a total of only 53 defensive snaps.
Really impressed with Daiyan Henley v New Orleans.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) August 21, 2023
Uber-athletic, comfortable in space, and a hell of a blitzer. Love watching instinctive LBs. pic.twitter.com/C8u0iZ4C1p
It's tough to predict how Harbaugh and his new coaching staff will view Henley.
Third string
Nick Niemann, Shane Lee, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste
Nick Niemann will push for a fourth season with the team. Shane Lee and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste were both signed as undrafted free agents following the draft.
The signings of two undrafted players shows that the team recognized it needed a little more depth at the position, if nothing else to get through the summer months with.
