2023 NFL draft: Chargers address defense in ESPN’s latest two-round projections

ESPN’s Matt Miller released his latest two-round mock draft, and he sees the Chargers addressing the defensive side of the football.

With their first-round selection, Miller pegged Georgia edge defender Nolan Smith to Los Angeles.

The Chargers have multiple options here, but the front seven is a big problem. L.A. allowed 5.9 yards per play (29th). A torn pectoral muscle in late October ended Smith’s season, but the 6-3 senior posted 11.5 sacks in his career while, like most Georgia defenders, working in a heavy rotation. He is a versatile linebacker who is comfortable standing up or playing with his hand down and has the first-step quickness to stun blockers while also being agile enough to play in space as an off-ball linebacker. That’s perfect for the Chargers’ base 3-4 scheme and today’s NFL.

The Chargers need to upgrade the edge defender group, as they were not getting pass rush production when Joey Bosa missed most of the season, and Khalil Mack is not getting any younger.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Smith is on the smaller side, but his play overshadows the measurables. He is an explosive athlete with top-tier strength and speed for his size and is proven at getting after the quarterback just as much as he is at defending the run.

Smith has the tools to become an elite defender in the NFL over time.

With their second-round selection, Miller gave the Chargers Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika.

Los Angeles went edge rusher in Round 1 and tries to fix the run defense with Ika — the draft’s best nose tackle — here. He is massive (6-4 and 358 pounds) and fits the modern nose tackle projection with his size, power, length and surprising quickness when allowed to rush the passer. The Chargers gave up 5.4 yards per rush last season, by far the worst in the NFL.

I believe this is a bit rich to be taking a defensive tackle. While the Chargers finished near the bottom of the league in run defense, their issues stemmed from the outside, where they struggled to have edges set and tackle in open space.

Los Angeles addressed the position last offseason with Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, and Otito Ogbonnia. Johnson and Ogbonnia were solid against the run before sustaining season-ending injuries. And Breiden Fehoko proved to be reliable upon stepping in.