Who Will Win the Chargers Cornerback Training Camp Battle?

The Chargers are counting on the play of their secondary to push them over the hump. With injuries, inconsistent play from starters, and young talent, there is plenty of uncertainty in the lineup and this training camp will give us some more clarity about how this group will perform. There is one battle that will define this group’s play, especially when it is at full strength. In this year’s camp battle, the highlight will be Ja’Sir Taylor vs Asante Samuel Jr.

Chargers Training Camp Battle: Ja’Sir Taylor Vs Asante Samuel Jr.

As mentioned in a previous article on the Chargers training camp battles, Asante Samuel Jr. saw his role decrease during the end of the season. Was this just a random blip on the radar, or was this a sign of things to come?

“Asante Samuel Jr. was “benched” leading to his snap counts dropping from 100%  to 71% in the last four weeks of the season. While not a massive drop-off, his role did diminish for seemingly no reason. The main reason behind his diminished role was his subpar tackling ability. With the Chargers run defense struggling especially in the second and third levels, Samuel Jr. was picked out as a liability and replaced with the bigger rookie Ja’Sir Taylor.”

Asante Samuel Jr. Profile

Asante Samuel Jr. is the son of the now-trending Asante Samuel. Learning from his father, Samuel is a complete ballhawk, who we last remember collecting three interceptions in the absolute crushing loss to the Jaguars in the Wild Card Round. Samuel Jr. is 5′-10″, 184-pounds, and just 23 years old. He was the Chargers second-round selection in 2021, falling from his projected stock of late first-round.

Pros

• Samuel Jr is able to mirror receivers, using his agility and smarts to blanket defenders and shut them down;
• Thrives in off-man coverage;
• Can play both in the slot and on the outside;
• Competitive;
• Tackling mindset.

Cons

• Size;
• Struggles to tackle due to his slim frame, especially struggles against bigger ball carriers;
• Getting off blocks.

2022 Stats

Snaps: 972 + 91 on Special Teams
Interceptions: 2
Pass Deflections: 11
Tackles: 57
Completions Allowed: 48
Completion Percentage Allowed: 55.2%
Yards Per Target: 7.2
Touchdowns Allowed: 7
Miss Tackle Rate: 5%

Case For Asante Samuel Jr

Overall, Asante Samuel Jr. is a solid corner, especially for his age and experience. He shows great toughness and aggressiveness, which can eventually translate to tackling. Samuel Jr. brings versatility and the ability to blanket receivers in man coverage. He also showed major improvement in zone coverage this season, showing he can read the eyes of the quarterback and undercut routes. His agility and processing go hand in hand with his ability to man the slot at a high level. He is younger than Ja’Sir Taylor and has more playing experience as well.

Ja’Sir Taylor Profile

Ja’Sir Taylor was the Chargers sixth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. He surpassed expectations, showing his ability to be a good spot-starter for this secondary, at what head coach Brandon Staley calls the “star” role. This is Staley verbiage for a slot corner. Taylor was a former high school track star, showing his athletic ability with his strong 8.29 RAS score. Taylor weighs in at 188 pounds, standing at 5′-11″ and running a 4.47 40-yard dash.

Pros

• RAS score;
• Special teams ability;
• Strong tackler;
• Blitz ability;
• Positional versatility.

Cons

• Lapses in coverage;
• Inexperienced;
• On the smaller side.

2022 Stats

Snaps: 161 + 258 on Special Teams
Interceptions: 0
Pass Deflections: 1
Tackles: 22
Completions Allowed: 7
Completion Percentage Allowed: 63.6%
Yards Per Target: 10.3
Touchdowns Allowed: 0
Miss Tackle Rate: 12%