The Los Angeles Chargers had no intention of 2020 sixth-round draft selection Alohi Gilman becoming their long-term starter opposite All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. They had hopes for 2019 second-round selection Nasir Adderley, but that never fully manifested and he walked away from football in 2023. The Brandon Staley regime, which did not draft Gilman, used a seventh-round selection on Mark Webb in 2021 and the 79th overall selection on JT Woods in 2022 to see if either could become that guy. The former is not on the roster and the latter is in danger of falling off of it this season.
For several years, Gilman was mostly forgotten. So, heading into the final year of his deal, he made them remember him.
While most of the discussion in the summer of 2023 centered around Woods, James Jr. set aside time at the podium to praise Gilman on more than one occasion:
He's a ball hawk. You can make plays when you know what to do. It's hard for you to make plays if you don't know what you're doing. Alohi has been a guy that’s been here and when his number is called, he’s making plays and there’s a lot of confidence in him. Everyone in the organization believes in him. He's just making plays, that’s who he is. A playmaker.
Defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley, who was previously his defensive backs coach, echoed a similar belief in Gilman:
I think the biggest thing, when making plays, is knowing what you're supposed to do. Then, you can focus on what the offense is trying to do to you. He does a really good job of playing the game pre-snap. So, the game post-snap is a lot easier for him, a lot calmer for him. That's a testament to his work ethic, on the field and in the classroom. He's one of those guys that studies. He does a really good job of mentoring the younger guys, the younger safeties, and pushing those guys to be the best they can be. He's doing a really good job for us now and he's going to continue that through the rest of this camp.
Gilman held onto the third safety spot in 2022, but could he double his snap count and be the full-time starter? Could he build off of several highlight plays the previous season and showcase full-year stability across James Jr.?
He did one better: He was the best defensive back on the team last year.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him as the seventh-best safety in the league. He was eighth in Wins Above Replacement (WAR), third in forced fumbles, and eighth in forced incompletion rate. The statistics were strong, but it was the timing of his plays that made his season special.
Nearly every game featured a key stop on fourth down, a game-saving interception, or a forced fumble that gave Justin Herbert one more chance to score. The Chargers rewarded him with a two-year, $11 million contract, making him the only internal free agent they gave a multi-year deal to.
The quest for captain status likely starts and ends with James Jr., who no doubt will be voted as such as the representative in the secondary. Gilman is unlikely to be a captain this year, but that does not make him any less deserving.
Pre-draft scouting for the Chargers keys fans into certain players who could be considered Harbaugh guys. Players who are perhaps neither the most talented, nor the most flashy, but are There Every Day (T.E.D.) and perform above expectation. Is that not Gilman?
There is something to be said about the 186th player in the 2020 NFL Draft being looked up to as captain for dozens of Chargers who were late-round picks or undrafted free agents. The Staley era, reportedly, was rampant with favoritism for priority picks and signings. What better way to amend the mistakes of the previous regime than to place leadership responsibilities in the hands of someone who fought through low draft status and three different defensive coordinators to earn a second contract?
Most Popular
Comments / 0