The Mesa, Arizona native starred at Mesa High School where he played linebacker, quarterback, and wide receiver. During his senior season, he finished with 68 total tackles, two interceptions, and forced a fumble. On offense, he passes for 334 yards with four touchdowns, rushed for 159 yards and three scores, and caught 36 passes for 662 yards and another five touchdowns. Fackrell would go on to accept his only Division I scholarship offer which was from the Aggies of Utah State.
While deciding on whether or not to take a Mormon mission, Fackrell took a year off from football where he made a living painting houses. After forgoing the mission, Fackrell accepted the scholarship from Utah State and proceeded to redshirt his first year on campus.
Wasting little time, Fackrell earned a starting job as a freshman and would go on to start all 13 games for the Aggies. In his sophomore season, he led the team with 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Tragedy struck in the season opener of his junior campaign as Fackrell suffered a torn ACL which forced him to miss the entire season. Deciding to return for his final season, Fackrell capitalized by leading the nation in fumble recoveries with five. He would also lead the team once again with 15 tackles for loss to go with four sacks en route to becoming a First-Team All-Mountain West selection.
After being projected by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein to be a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, that’s exactly where he went off the board to the Packers at #88. Fackrell spent four seasons with Green Bay where he spent his rookie campaign in a rotational role before earning the first two starts of his career in 2017. After only notching five total sacks across his first two seasons, Fackrell broke out with 10.5 sacks in 2018 as he started a career-high seven games and played in all 16. He would record zero sacks in his final season with Green Bay before walking in free agency.
On March 26 of 2020, Fackrell signed a one-year deal with the Giants. In his lone season with New York, he started a career-high nine games and finished with 34 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, and an interception in which he returned 46 yards for a touchdown.
On March 21 of this year, Fackrell signed a one-year deal with the Chargers.
Basic Info
Height: 6’5
Weight: 245
College: Utah State
Experience: 5
Years with team: 5
Contract Status
“Kyler Fackrell signed a 1 year, $1,500,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including a $500,000 signing bonus, $500,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,500,000. In 2021, Fackrell will earn a base salary of $1,000,000 and a signing bonus of $500,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1,500,000 and a dead cap value of $500,000.” - Spotrac.com
The Good
Fackrell has great length for the position and has plenty of experience in this style of defense from his days with the Packers. Brandon Staley got a first-hand look at home while coaching outside linebackers for the Bears so this signing was done with intent and plenty of research. After the loss of Melvin Ingram in free agency, Fackrell provides another veteran presence in the EDGE group to help guide expected-starter Uchenna Nwosu and the rest of the young pass rushers on the team.
The Bad
His athletic profile is “fine” but he makes up for it with a non-stop motor that can help him win late in games if he’s able to run down his opponent. He’s fairly stiff and labored in his movements which means he’ll be at a disadvantage if asked to drop into coverage against running backs and tight ends.
Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2021?
Fackrell is a lock to make the final 53-man roster as the top rotational piece at edge. It remains to be seen if he can win the starting job opposite Joey Bosa over Uchenna Nwosu but either way, he’s set for plenty of playing time this year for the Chargers. I expect him to finish somewhere between four to six sacks on the year. Not a career year by any means, but still a notable season for a backup pass rusher.