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This Undrafted Backup Chargers Player Could Have a Massive Impact
Main Photo: Mark J. Rebilas USA Today Sports

This Undrafted Backup Chargers Player Could Have a Massive Impact

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports  |  By Nate Gosney  |  Last updated 7/23/23

The Chargers have found plenty of success digging through schools to find hidden gems for free. Players like Austin Ekeler, Michael Davis, and Jalen Guyton are all undrafted players the Chargers are relying on this season. Adding to that list, second-year undrafted safety Raheem Layne is in line to have a massive impact on this team.

Raheem Layne Will Be the Chargers Next Undrafted Steal

Raheem Layne is a 5’11”, 195-pound, 24-year-old safety with plenty of college experience at both cornerback and safety. During his four-year career at Indiana, he recorded 147 tackles, one interception, and nine pass breakups. While at Indiana, Layne showed great tackling ability and form and can play the run at a high level. Layne plays with immense toughness and shows the desire to pummel opposing ball carriers.

The main knock on Layne is a complete lack of athleticism: he isn’t very quick, fast, agile, and smooth in transition. Basically, he is not a coverage defender and should only see time near the line of scrimmage.

Layne was unfortunately undrafted last year but did earn his spot on the Chargers practice squad to start off the season. He eventually made it to the 53-man roster, earning himself a spot on special teams for the remainder of the season.

The former Indiana product registered 80 snaps on special teams, which was 51% of the team’s snaps. He also got a chance on defense, registering 25 total snaps at safety. During his special teams snaps Layne recorded two total tackles, which may not seem like all too much, but there is one specific play that shows all of his best traits on display. If he could continue this reign of terror on special teams, he very well could follow in the footsteps of the once undrafted gem, Adrian Phillips.

Is Raheem Layne Adrian Phillips 2.0?

Does this story sound familiar? Adrian Phillips’ story started out the same way. To put it shortly, he started off very slow, fighting and clawing for his spot on the roster, and once he got there, he slowly became one of the core Charger players. He was spectacular on defense and on special teams. Philips was signed by the Patriots in 2020, and now is now a core player for Bill Belichick’s squad.

Obviously, Layne has a lot of work to do to reach Phillips status, but the talent is there. Both are listed at 5′-11″ and boast similar weights. Both were undrafted, knocked for lack of athleticism, but known for their great tackling ability, and were only expected to be a possible special teams player. Raheem Layne does have an advantage when it comes to RAS score. After using the calculator he came out to have a 4.49 score. Adrian Phillips had a 2.51.

2023 Role

The Role for Raheem Layne is very much still in the air, but what it is currently looking like is the direct backup behind Derwin James, as well as to be the special demon he has shown to be. In three-safety packages, he or disappointing third-round selection J.T. Woods will fight for the spot. When it comes to direct impact, Raheem Layne’s play will play a large factor. If Derwin James misses games, as he has done before, the defense will rely on Layne to lay the boom and collapse opposing offenses.

If Derwin stays healthy, it is still Layne’s responsibility to lead this special teams group and use his tackling ability to ensure no big returns are given up. Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken has already used Layne in creative ways to ensure the return game is effective. With another year under his belt, Layne has all the tools to be an absolute weapon for Ficken.

Overall, having good depth in today’s NFL is extremely valuable, especially for the Chargers whose all-star starting safety has a lengthy injury history. The formerly undrafted, Raheem Layne could have a massive impact on the 2023 Los Angeles Chargers defense and special teams. Layne’s increased role for this team is to be earned and is in the cards to become a valuable piece for this season and beyond.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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