Chris Rumph will have to fight a little bit more this offseason to earn playing time with the Chargers in 2024.
Chris Rumph II grew up in Gainsville, Florida and played his prep football at Bucholz High School under head coach Mark Whittemore. As a senior, Rumph accumulated 105 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, one interception, and two fumble recoveries en route to earning First-Team All-State honors. He was also named the Large School Player of the Year by The Gainsville Sun and ended his career as a consensus three-star prospect by both ESPN and Rivals.com.
Rumph headed north to attend Duke University and redshirted during his first year on campus. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Rumph was named a USA Today Freshman All-American after notching 25 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and three sacks in 13 games played with one start.
As a sophomore, Rumph came off the bench in 12 games while recording career highs with 47 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks with a forced fumble. He improved his tackle count to 57 and his sack total to eight as a junior while nothing another 12.5 tackles for loss. He was named a captain and earned Second-Team All-ACC honors that season, as well.
Rumph was selected by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. As a rookie, he saw time in all 16 games, finishing with 19 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. In year two, he recorded another 15 tackles and two tackles for loss, but upped his sack count to two with his first pass deflection.
During the 2024 season, Rumph played in a career-low six games as then-rookie Tuli Tuipulotu immediately started above him on the depth chart. He finished with just five tackles and a fumble recovery.
Basic Info
Height: 6’2
Weight: 244
College: Duke
Experience: 3
Years with team: 3
Contract Status
“Chris Rumph II signed a 4 year , $4,233,544 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $753,544 signing bonus, $753,544 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,058,386. In 2024, Rumph II will earn a base salary of $1,055,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1,243,386 and a dead cap value of $188,386.” – Spotrac.com
The Good
Rumph is a slippery pass-rusher who can, at times, use the same evasive to make stops in the run game. Despite playing at around 230-235 pounds at Duke, he was still a productive player. If he can find a way to maintain some added mass while keeping up his speed and agility, he could turn into an impactful situational pass rusher with the Chargers.
The Bad
While I touted Rumph’s ability to be slippery above, he’s only that way due to his lanky frame. You can’t become a well-rounded player at the edge position if you’re only making plays when avoiding blockers entirely. If Rumph wants to take his game to the next level, he’ll have to continue adding bulk and strength to ever have the shot at becoming a three-down player.
Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2024?
Rumph is more than likely going to make the Chargers as one of their last edge rushers on the active roster. The Chargers are truly four deep at the position but Rumph II has continued to improve year-after-year and his value on special teams is also something that bumps his stock as we inch towards final cuts.