Chargers Continue Bolstering Defense Following NFL Draft, Sign LB Kyle Van Noy

The Chargers are signing another veteran player to their defense, bringing aboard linebacker Kyle Van Noy.

A day after the Chargers signed cornerback Bryce Callahan, they circled back into the free agency pool and added another veteran to the mix.

On Thursday, the Chargers signed linebacker Kyle Van Noy, the team announced.

Despite the Chargers making eight selections over the three-day draft, including four picks that featured defensive players, they refrained from drafting a linebacker or edge rusher. But in this instance, they’re getting a proven player in Van Noy, whose track record demonstrates he can fill a variety of different roles.

“We went into the draft and if that was a part of the equation, then we would’ve selected a rusher. It just didn’t quite work out that way,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said at his post-draft press conference. “To kind of fill out the depth of that position, we’re going to have to look elsewhere.”

Van Noy, 31, has played inside and outside linebacker throughout his eight-year career. His production as a pass-rusher uplifts the Chargers' depth coming off the edge, pairing him behind starters, Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.

For purposes of serving the role of a traditional inside linebacker, Van Noy provides depth to the middle of the Chargers' defense, assisting Drue Tranquill, Troy Reeder and Kenneth Murray, who's rehabbing from a surgically repaired ankle.

The Chargers' draft approach was a 'best player available' technique, filling most but not all holes on the roster. But over the course of the last two days, the Chargers have added two players in Callahan and Van Noy, who both bring with them playoff experience and steady production throughout their careers.

Van Noy, most recently, played the 2021 season as a member of the Patriots, returning to New England after a one-year hiatus with the Dolphins in 2020. He's been a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams with the Patriots in 2016 and 2019.

For a defensive unit that allowed the third-most points per game last season, the Chargers not only have added immediate impact starters this offseason, but they've also stockpiled adequate depth.

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• Chargers LB Drue Tranquill Describes Motivation for Launching Podcast
• Chargers Meeting With Free Agent LB Kyle Van Noy
• Chargers Announce Offseason Schedule, Minicamp Dates
• Chargers 2022 Draft Class Superlatives: Best Value Pick, Biggest Surprise and More
• Report: Chargers Sign CB Bryce Callahan, Reunites With Brandon Staley
• Drue Tranquill on Kenneth Murray: 'He's as Focused as Ever and as Hungry as Ever'

Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Charger Report. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel for more Chargers coverage.