Chargers 90-in-90: CB Brandon Facyson

Brandon Facyson first made a name for himself as a prep for Northgate High School in his hometown of Newnan, Georgia. As a junior, he was a key two-way player, recording 294 receiving yards and four scores on offense and 47 tackles with three interceptions on defense.

As a senior, Facyson led his team in receiving with 31 catches for 439 yards and another four touchdowns. He ended his final prep season with just 21 tackles, six pass breakups, and a forced fumble. His postseason accolades included a selection to the All-Region team at cornerback and a spot on the Newnan-Times Herald All-County Team as a wide receiver. Facyson left Northgate High as the country’s 26th-ranked corner by ESPN and accepted a scholarship to play at Virginia Tech.

After enrolling in the 2012 spring semester, Facyson got the chance to participate in the team’s spring ball practices. That helped set him up for his phenomenal true freshman season where he tallied five interception and eight pass breakups in nine starts en route to being named a Third-Team All-ACC selection and a Freshman All-American.

Facyson began the 2014 season with three-straight starts but ended up breaking his leg in the third contest. He luckily received a medical hardship waiver and regained another year of eligibility with the Hokies.

As a redshirt sophomore in 2015, Facyson started 10 of 12 games and finished with 27 tackles, one going for a loss, and a career-high 11 pass breakups. He followed that season up with his most all-around disruptive campaign in which he totaled 48 total tackles, four for a loss, 11 pass breakups, and a pair of forced fumbles while starting all 14 games.

Facyson’s senior season for the Hokies saw him start 11 of the team’s 13 total games. He recorded 19 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and five pass breakups. In his career, he started 47 total games while playing in 55 total while at VaTech.

As a rookie with the Chargers, Facyson saw all his snaps on special teams where he recorded four tackles and recovered a fumble. He then saw his first four NFL starts in 2019 while playing in all 16 games. He finished with a career-high 39 tackles and a single pass breakup.

In 2020, Facyson saw time in 15 games and totaled three tackles with a fumble recovery. He was re-signed by the Chargers following the season to a one-year deal.

Basic Info

Height: 6’2
Weight: 197
College: Virginia Tech
Experience: 3
Years with team: 3

Contract Status

“Brandon Facyson signed a 1 year, $945,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including an average annual salary of $945,000. In 2021, Facyson will earn a base salary of $920,000 and a workout bonus of $25,000, while carrying a cap hit of $945,000.” - Spotrac.com

The Good

Facyson has great size and length for the position and it’s likely what attracted Gus Bradley to him back in 2018. When he was forced into a starting role in 2019, Facyson played fine enough and showed the propensity to be a sure-tackler. Under the tutelage of Derrick Ansley and Coach Staley, there’s no reason not to think Facyson will take a step forward with his play in 2021.

The Bad

Generally, Facyson struggles with any receiver with above-average speed and twitch. He’s not an elite athlete himself and that can get exploited. As a former undrafted player, the fact he’s still with the team at this point is a positive, but there’s a reason he’s been a fringe roster player up to this point. He’s “fine”, but not someone you want playing notable snaps on game days.

Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2021?

Facyson has stood out in training camp thus far while playing mainly as the third cornerback opposite Michael Davis while Chris Harris mans the slot. Rookie Asante Samuel Jr. is still getting acclimated to the NFL so it’s not surprising to see a more-experienced player getting the first-team snaps ahead of him this early in camp. Even if Samuel overtakes Facyson, he’s still going to be within the team’s top-five corners which means’ he’ll surely make the final roster.