Chargers Secondary Depth Has Created a Competitive Environment, Says DC Renaldo Hill

The Chargers added pieces to each level of their defense this offseason, creating a stronger balance of depth to get through the gauntlet of an NFL season while being able to shoulder injury blows a bit better in 2022.

Chargers defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill spoke with the media this week for the first time since last season came to a close. He specifically pointed to the improved depth which has created a competitive environment on the back-end of the defense.

“Having a guy like J.C. [Jackson] come in definitely helps with all of that. I think the biggest thing is, I mentioned it last year, is making the room competitive," Hill said on the depth of the secondary. "When you have a guy not really looking over his shoulder and not worrying about who’s the next guy — but if you have a guy where it’s like, who’s going to be the No. 1 or No. 2 guy behind J.C., no one knows.

"It makes these guys really come out here and perform and know that we do have options. I think that’s the way the game should be. There shouldn’t be any lax mindset within any room. The better that we can do evaluating and getting the right guys in here, I just think it can make our team much stronger. When we do have those injuries, no one is sweating thinking about who is going to line up there. We know we have a guy that’s really capable and we can play everything within our system.”

In addition to landing Jackson, the top defender on the free agency market, the Chargers also signed Bryce Callahan after the draft. Callahan has experience playing from the slot alignment as well as the boundary, and has previously played in this scheme, crossing paths with Brandon Staley in Chicago and Denver.

“We knew going into the offseason that we’d be kind of attacking the defensive side of the ball. We wanted to change some of the personnel to fit the scheme. The guys that we targeted, we got those guys," Hill said.

They also didn't shy away from secondary help via the draft. With their third-round pick, the Chargers drafted Baylor safety JT Woods, who's calling card is his ball skills. He has a knack to go up and grab the ball, making him a candidate to patrol the deep part of the field, opening up Derwin James' versatility to an even greater extent.

"Midway through last season, we were able to move Nasir [Adderley] and Derwin, but now you have a guy who is a real ballhawk that has shown that he can get it in the college game — I want to say that he had like seven or eight [interceptions] this past year — but it’s been showing all over his tape that he gets the ball," Hill said of Woods. "When he gets the ball, he turns it into immediate offense. It’s hard to turn your eye away when you see a prospect there sitting in the third round for you.

"Once again, it allows us to get Derwin closer to the ball, or bring Nas down, knowing that you have a guy that can steal some balls in the back end.”

The Chargers also double-dipped at cornerback on Day 3 of the draft, selecting Ja’Sir Taylor out of Wake Forest in the sixth-round and Deane Leonard out of Ole Miss in the seventh-round.

Taylor and Leonard will round out the cornerback room for depth purposes but will likely be utilized as special team contributors early on.

“We’re definitely getting what we want. We wanted to be on the grass. You can sit in the meeting rooms a lot and talk shop about how things are supposed to play out, but when you get out on the grass and those guys get a chance to feel it, and we’re able to coach off of that, I think it registers both to the coaches and players," Hill said on how the OTA portion has been for the team's newcomers.

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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Charger Report. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel for more Chargers coverage.

Chargers Secondary Depth Has Created a Competitive Environment, Says DC Renaldo Hill

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