Chargers scored pre-draft meeting with 200-plus tackle linebacker

With the Chargers looking for more long-term answers in the middle of their defense, they could look to take a swing on this mid-round prospect.

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The Los Angeles Chargers desperately need upgrades on offense and everyone knows it. They haven't done much in free agency other than signing Najee Harris and bringing back Mike Williams. Could they be tipping their draft plans? With the No.22 overall pick, many have mocked a plethora of offensive weapons to the Bolts in an attempt to give Justin Herbert more options.

Their first pick will be heavily debated, but the Chargers have 10 picks in total and this is a massive opportunity to upgrade the roster in all facets. Starting on defense, the Chargers had a visit with Northwestern linebacker Xander Mueller.

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For those who aren't familiar with Mueller, he had an incredible 2023 season where he recorded 110 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, five sacks and three interceptions for the Wildcats. An injury in 2024 sidelined him to just nine games, but he was able to tally 57 tackles, five tackles for a loss, one sack and an interception.

Mueller can cover well, as he went into detail about his ability to impact the passing game.

"It’s so important at linebacker. I plan to focus on that a lot at the next level. I’ve had scouts tell me they want to see me improve my ability in coverage. I think we played a solid amount of zone coverage at Northwestern. We didn’t play a lot of man coverage. We played man a bit more this past season. I felt good playing in space."

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The Chargers have Daiyan Henley and veteran Denzel Perryman, who struggled with injuries all throughout 2024. Troy Dye and Junior Colson are also waiting in the wings for their numbers to be called more often. Mueller could come in and potentially surprise a lot of people.

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