Chargers met with Cal’s Evan Weaver

Another prospect visit has been confirmed for the Chargers and this time they met with California linebacker Evan Weaver, per The Draft Wire’s Justin Melo.

You know those guys you come across on tape thart simply have a nose for the football? Like, no matter what type of play is run, they find a way to always be in on the tackle? Yeah, that’s Weaver. He’s a guy that makes you feel like you’re watching film from four decades ago due to the sight of him wearing number 89 as an off-ball linebacker.

Weaver started all 13 games in his final two seasons. Both years, he went over the 150-tackle mark. His junior season, Weaver finished with 155 total tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, and 4.5 sacks with a pair of interceptions, one taken to the house, and six pass breakups. As a season, he somehow increased his total tackles to a staggering 181 stops with 11.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

The crazy thing about seeing numbers like these is that you’d expect Weaver to probably be physically elite in one manner or another. It turns out that he was fairly pedestrian across the board during his testing at the combine. Here are his results from Indy:

• 40: 4.76
• Bench Press: 15 reps
• Vertical: 32.0”
• Broad Jump: 9’9
• 3-Cone: 7.02
• 20-yard Shuttle: 4.21

The two numbers that actually stand out the most are his 3-cone and his short shuttle. His 3-cone time of 7.02 is good for eighth at the position but those other linebackers in front of him, for the most part, should be classified as edge rushers. His time among actual off-ball linebackers at the combine would put him squarely in the top-5. His short shuttle time, to my disbelief, was tied for second-best among all linebackers. After seeing those agility numbers his tackling stats start to make a little more sense. He’s obviously got a knack for being around the ball in terms of his instincts but he combines those un-coachable things with some elite lateral movement skills to maximize his production.

The Chargers lost three linebackers since the start of the free agency period. Thomas Davis (Washington), Jatavis Brown (Eagles), and Nick Dzubnar (Titans) all have new homes but the Chargers brought in former Bengal Nick Vigil on a one-year deal to help stem the exodus of linebacker depth. The depth of the linebacker spot still isn’t very deep so don’t be surprised to see them take a linebacker spot late day two or early on day three. Weaver could fit that pick, especially if they feel like Tranquill isn’t going to be the future MIKE on this defense.