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Los Angeles has rounded out their edge rusher room.
The Chargers opened their set of selections on Saturday with former South Carolina edge Kyle Kennard at the No. 125 pick, adding him to a stable that includes Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree.
Kennard is a raw rusher - his one season at South Carolina was his only as a full-time starter after four years at Georgia Tech - but he gets off the line quickly and adds a bit of burst to a Chargers room that is primarily made up of power rushers at this juncture. He's a high-motor player, which makes up for his lack of physicality at the point of attack in the run game.
For Los Angeles, Kennard will begin his career as a designated pass rusher, most plausibly in packages where the Chargers move Mack or Tuipulotu to the inside on third downs. He only played 127 special teams snaps in his five-year career, with 0 of them coming last season, but LA will likely expect him to contribute in that role after Tuipulotu was second on the team in special teams snaps last season.
The Chargers are betting on one season of production from Kennard, who was the first Gamecock to win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. His 11.5 sacks last season will hopefully translate into a developing role with LA, and he has the tools to turn into a solid EDGE2 next to Tuipulotu down the line.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Why the Chargers selected EDGE Kyle Kennard with the 125th pick
Continue reading...
The Chargers opened their set of selections on Saturday with former South Carolina edge Kyle Kennard at the No. 125 pick, adding him to a stable that includes Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree.
Kennard is a raw rusher - his one season at South Carolina was his only as a full-time starter after four years at Georgia Tech - but he gets off the line quickly and adds a bit of burst to a Chargers room that is primarily made up of power rushers at this juncture. He's a high-motor player, which makes up for his lack of physicality at the point of attack in the run game.
For Los Angeles, Kennard will begin his career as a designated pass rusher, most plausibly in packages where the Chargers move Mack or Tuipulotu to the inside on third downs. He only played 127 special teams snaps in his five-year career, with 0 of them coming last season, but LA will likely expect him to contribute in that role after Tuipulotu was second on the team in special teams snaps last season.
The Chargers are betting on one season of production from Kennard, who was the first Gamecock to win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. His 11.5 sacks last season will hopefully translate into a developing role with LA, and he has the tools to turn into a solid EDGE2 next to Tuipulotu down the line.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Why the Chargers selected EDGE Kyle Kennard with the 125th pick
Continue reading...
