Linebacker Junior Colson is in line for a bigger role in Jim Harbaugh’s defense in Year 2 for the Chargers.
Going into the 2024 NFL Draft, you just knew that Jim Harbaugh was going to come away from the three-day event with at least one player he coached while at the University of Michigan.
Well, that one player ended up being linebacker Junior Colson, one of Harbaugh’s standout defenders that helped guide the team to the national championship. With former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter following Harbaugh to Los Angeles, Colson seemed like a slam dunk pick in the third round as a player who would already be extremely well-versed in the Chargers’ new defensive scheme.
Colson’s rookie season ended up not going so great, however. He ended the year with a 38.0 overall season grade which ranked him 180th out of 189 qualifying linebackers. That’s not great, Bob! Still, Colson dealt with injuries early in the season and he never quite seemed to get into a groove as the year went on.
Even after all of this, Pro Football Focus still tabbed Colson as the player they believe will be the Chargers’ breakout star in 2025. Here’s what PFF analyst Bradley Locker had to say about the young linebacker:
Denzel Perryman and Troy Dye are free agents, as are several notable Chargers defenders. That should open the door for Colson, who will get another year to develop in Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter’s scheme. Colson struggled in coverage in the 2024 regular season to a dismal 34.0 PFF coverage grade, but he impressed as a tackler, with only a 6.7% miss rate. The Chargers helped Daiyan Henley improve into a solid off-ball linebacker this year, and the 22-year-old Colson might be next up.
Colson ended the 2024 regular season with 29 total tackles and one pass breakup while playing in 11 games with one start. With Henley playing his best football and Perryman also making an impact each week, it was tough for Colson to find his footing in between injuries. There was too much to love about Colson’s game prior to the season to believe he won’t flip the switch in his second year under Harbaugh, Minter, and linebackers coach Navarro Bowman.
When that happens, the Chargers could end up with one of the best young linebacker duos in the league. Sounds a little like a former duo Bowman was a part of in San Francisco, huh?
Rookie LB Junior Colson deserves some love. Elijah Molden got the pick off Bryce Young here, but it’s Colson’s coverage underneath that forces the throw to go further inside.
It’s a bummer he got hurt this game, but Jim Harbaugh’s monster is already showing his skills.#boltup pic.twitter.com/wp5Yx6Kn5y— Thomas Martinez (@BoltsDraftTalk) September 18, 2024