Chargers predicted breakout player in 2025 would prove team got incredible value
The Los Angeles Chargers have been on quite the ride in the pass-rush department this offseason.
Though the team was able to re-sign Khalil Mack in free agency, it had to make the difficult decision to part ways with Joey Bosa after nine seasons with the team. That move saved money, but it took the player with the second-most sacks in team history off the roster.
They will need to replace him, and may not be able to do that with Tuli Tuipolotu alone.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report took a lot at the current roster in its entirety and he chose the team’s fourth-round pick, Kyle Kennard, as this year’s breakout player.
“The Chargers took a big step toward a new era of pass-rushers when they let Joey Bosa walk in free agency. They retained Khalil Mack, but it’s clear they will be relying on other players to step up with Bosa moving on.
Tuli Tuipulotu is going to carry a lot of that burden, but Kyle Kennard could prove to be worth much more than the fourth-round pick the Chargers used to add him.
Kennard led the SEC with 11.5 sacks at South Carolina last season. He has an explosive first step and a decent arsenal of moves already. He needs some work at setting the edge against the run, but he should show off his pass-rushing chops early and earn an immediate role on the defense”, wrote Ballentine.
There’s nothing to dislike about the Kennard pick. The fact that the Chargers got the SEC Defensive Player of the Year with pick No. 125 already seems like a win. In fact, since that award was created in 2002, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year has been a first or second-round draft pick all but five times, one of which was Kennard.
After leading the conference in sacks last season, Kennard can step onto the field and be a situational disruptor right out of the gate. With Mack and Tuipolotu ahead of him on the depth chart, he won’t be asked to do a whole lot early on, but learning behind them and veteran Bud Dupree could help him become an impact player at some point this season.
There is a legitimate chance that with a strong season, Kennard could end up being the biggest steal of the entire draft.
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