The Los Angeles Chargers needed to find some cornerback help under new defensive-minded head coach Brandon Staley after moving off Pro Bowler Casey Hayward earlier in the offseason.
They did just that with stud former Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. with the 47th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The son of a former Pro Bowl performer, Samuel Jr. has the pedigree to jump into a big role out of the gate for the Los Angeles Chargers. While he’s on the short side (5-foot-10), he’s great going up and breaking up contested targets and already boasts plus-level technique.
Samuel Jr. might be pigeonholed to the slot in certain schemes, but he more than has the ability to go tit-for-tat with bigger receivers on the outside. This is one of the primary reasons it was a surprise to see the former Florida State star not go in the first round. He now lands with Los Angeles to team up with Michael Davis and Chris Harris.