The Chargers drafted linebacker Junior Colson in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft, with the expectation of him starting from day one. He came from the Jim Harbaugh, Jesse Minter Michigan system and had great success in it. This was also before the breakout of Daiyan Henley, so the thought process of Colson being the team’s LB1 was in the fold.
However, after a down year one, the verdict is still out on the former Michigan Linebacker.
Can This Chargers Linebacker Breakout in Year Two?
Junior Colson’s Year One: Filled With Unfortunate Events
As mentioned before, the expectations for year one for Junior Colson were quite high, thus leading to what by all accounts was an OK season to be disappointing. Colson had a total of 29 tackles, 11 stops, coupled with his not-so-great 36.7 PFF defensive grade.
The flashes for Colson were short, but it was obvious in his pass rushing and general downhill thumping ability. In coverage, Colson has plenty of room to improve, as his 34.0 coverage grade ranked 172nd/189. Furthermore, his pursuit angles in 2024 were pretty rough, leading to plenty of big plays happening when they should not have.
Recent comments from Chargers linebackers coach, Navarro Bowman, give Chargers fans more of an idea of why Colson struggled in year one: “Colson was ‘the guy’ at Michigan and learned ‘how fast’ the NFL game was. “The speed of the game is totally different.”
Beyond the coaching context behind his disappointing year one, the context regarding his injuries is also extremely important. The potential Chargers breakout star struggled with Appendicitis in training camp, struggled with a hamstring injury early in the season, and then an ankle injury that landed him on in-season injured reserve. This context should allow for some semblance of hope for the former Michigan Linebacker in year two.
The Expectation for Year Two
A Chargers breakout season for the year two linebacker is a story we just saw with the evolution of the aforementioned Daiyan Henley, who was also a third-round pick. The difference is that Henley did not play at all in his rookie season, coupled with his recent switch to the position. This led the Chargers to have no picture of who Henley can be– a story that is not the same as Colson’s.
The potential Chargers breakout star, Colson, played a fair amount last season, even if it was muddied with injuries. Predicting a breakout for Colson could be even more bold than predicting one for Henley last off-season. As good teammates should, they believe in the young linebacker, giving him plenty of confidence in their most recent press conference.
Veteran linebacker, Denzel Perryman, had this to say in regards to Colson and his 2025 outlook: “I’m expecting a breakout season… He’s locked in. He’s been in the building every day.”
Who’s to say that Perryman can not be correct in his assumption? The Chargers will need more out of Colson, as Perryman is getting older, and Henley is the only guy. If Colson can produce a season where he is healthy, starting, and improving, consider that a major victory for the Chargers’ 2024 third-round selection.
Main Photo: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The post Can This Chargers Linebacker Breakout in Year Two? appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.