NFL Scouting Combine - Defensive Players to Watch

Yesterday I let you guys know which offensive players we are going to be paying close attention too when they take the field next week at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine.

The Chargers had a decent year defensively but there are obviously holes at the Safety position, the team is thin at Cornerback, and the team needs to give DROY Joey Bosa some help on the defensive line, especially if Melvin Ingram leaves in Free Agency.

With that in mind, here is who we will be watching next week.

Kyle Posey
Tedric Thompson, FS, Colorado
“Thompson has the best ball skills in the class and he's not far off from Hooker from a range aspect. You just get him 2 possible 3 rounds later. He's lanky even though he's listed at 205. So I'd like to see how explosive he is. He's the single high safety the team needs.”

Carl Lawson, EDGE, Auburn
“Carl Lawson will have my eye. One of the better pass rushers in the draft but he's suffered from injuries and I think that's taken away from his athleticism. I don't think he'll test as well as we think. At the position he plays, athleticism matters.”

Louis Gorini
Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut
“I want to see if he can test through the roof and make a push for early round 2. It's his change of direction/ hips I'm looking at, which is expected to be tough for someone his size.”

Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State
“Malik is the other guy I’m watching. I want to see his agility and bench and see if he merits a top 10 pick or a round 2 selection.”

Jamie Hoyle
Joe Mathis, Edge, Washington
“Mathis seems like a good value at edge should they let Ingram walk and go safety or tackle at 7. Want to see how he tests on jumps, cone drills and bench.”

Tedric Thompson, FS, Colorado
“Thompson should be in the convo for a second round pick but generally seems to be mocked in the fourth, want to see how he does in CB drills and 40.”

Jamie Sewell
Safeties
“It's really all of the big safeties. I haven't watched Obi, Budda Baker, or Tedric closely yet, but I like what I've heard, and a big combine from any of them could move them up the boards big time.”

Garrett Sisti
Jaleel Johnson, DT, Iowa
“The edge class is loaded but the interior defenders not so much. With not many big bodies on the defense standing out Johnson is one of those under the radar guys that I think can make some noise.”

Joe "JoJo" Mathis, Edge, Washington
“I planted my flag early on Mathis because he was an efficient pass rushing monster for Washington last year before his injury. His sample size is small, I want to see his numbers at the combine.”

Matthew Stanley
Al-Quadin Muhammad, Edge, Miami
“Muhammad could be a late round steal. He has off field issues, and due to those issues doesn’t have a ton of experience. However if he used his time wisely he should test off the charts.”

Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State
“I want to see how his numbers stack up against Solomon Thomas. I want to see how he moves in the positional drills. I’m also going to be sifting through twitter to see if anything leaks about his interviews since the biggest negatives about him are rumors of his lack of drive, locker room issues.”

And there you have it folks. The dull part of the offseason is over and it’s time for draft season and free agency. The time of year where we all get to play “scout” and put on our GM hat to make our favorite team better.