Chargers Slot Cornerback
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been breaking down the depth chart at each position for the Chargers.
Chargers Slot Cornerback Play
Today, we examine and project the cornerback room, which is one of the stronger units for Los Angeles heading into the 2020 season.
CB: Casey Hayward
Hayward piled together 32 tackles, eight passes defended and two interceptions over the course of 16 games last season. His stats may not resemble high level of play, but quarterbacks have learned by now not to test Hayward. The 30-year old has been a key presence in the secondary, earning the highest coverage grade (93.1) among cornerbacks the past five seasons. Lining up across the league’s top wide receivers, “Showcase” has stymied nearly every single one. Heading into this season, he will remain the No. 1 cornerback on the outside.
Backup(s): Brandon Facyson, Quenton Meeks
Slot CB: Chris Harris, Jr.
According to NFL.com research, the Chargers allowed nine yards per slot target last season, which was the fifth-highest average in the league. They also ranked No. 30 in completion percentage to slot targets. Because of the lack of production, a change needed to be made which led to the signing of Harris earlier this offseason. Harris projects as the starting slot corner, overtaking Desmond King in that role. Harris is capable of playing on the outside along with some safety, but we can expect to see him primarily on the inside. For King, he is a bit of mystery now that he won’t be the starting slot corner after he experienced a rocky 2019 campaign. Expect him to play an interchangeable role with snaps coming in the slot and as a sub-package linebacker, along with special teams duties.
Backup(s): Desmond King
On May 11, 2017, the Los Angeles Chargers signed King to a four-year, $2.67 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $279,992. Throughout training camp, King competed for the role as the third cornerback on the depth chart against Trevor Williams, Steve Williams, Craig Mager, and Trovon Reed. In case you weren’t familiar with Desmond King, he is a 25-year-old slot cornerback who can play almost any spot in the defensive backfield and has played his whole career with the Los Angeles.
CB: Michael Davis
Davis earned the Week 1 starting job in 2019, but he was limited to 12 games after missing two of them due to an injury and the others to a suspension after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He’s appeared in 43 games over the course of the past three seasons with 21 of them being starts. Since then, he’s totaled 107 tackles, 18 passes defensed and two interceptions. Davis will be in competition for this spot with Brandon Facyson, who started here while the former BYU product missed some action. Facyson did show promise in coverage and as a tackler in his four starts. However, Davis is the model that Gus Bradley covets at the position and his experience in the role should ensure he retains his job. Quenton Meeks was mentioned as an underdog who could make the team as a depth piece.
Backup(s): Brandon Facyson, Quenton Meeks
Even a decade ago, your average slot defender was just that — average. A smaller guy without the speed to take outside receivers up the post routes and down the sideline. But as NFL offenses have defaulted to three- and four-receiver sets, the nickel and dime defender has not only become a de facto starter, but also as important as any other defensive back on the field.
Chargers Slot Cornerback Wins
Imagine you’re a slot cornerback in today’s NFL. One week, you have to deal with Minnesota’s Adam Thielen and his array of precise routes — not to mention his ability to streak downfield for a huge play if you make any hint of a mistake. The next week, you’re up against the Eagles’ Zach Ertz, getting bodied out by a 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end in devilish route combinations. The next week, you may have to face Antonio Brown in a week when his coaches decide to make him a primary slot receiver. Good luck with that.
But hey, at least Rob Gronkowski retired, so that’s one slot nightmare out of the way.
The point is, slot defenders are tested in new and vicious ways in the modern league, and their skill sets to defend speed, option routes and increased uses of receiver space are unique. Most great outside cornerbacks want to stay outside for those exact reasons. As Richard Sherman once told me, the boundary is your friend, and if you have open space on both sides of your coverage, it isn’t a lot of fun.
So, here are the best slot defenders in the business coming into the 2019 season, and what makes each one of them special.
Chargers Slot Cornerback Vs
Losing Bryce Callahan to the Broncos in free agency was a blow for Chicago’s defense, but it would have been far worse had McManis not established himself as an estimable slot cornerback in his own right. The 31-year-old veteran doesn’t have top-end speed, but he understands defensive spacing and placement — he’s one of those guys who always seems to be around the ball. In 2018, McManis allowed just 12 receptions on 22 slot targets for 80 yards, 42 yards after the catch, no touchdowns and an opponent passer rating of 62.7. You want to see a larger sample size of targets before moving him up this list, but 2018 was a step in the right direction.