Instant analysis of Chargers' third-round pick DL Jamaree Caldwell

Travis Wakeman

Instant analysis of Chargers' third-round pick DL Jamaree Caldwell image

The Los Angeles Chargers needed to attack the defensive line at some point in the 2025 NFL Draft and they used their third-round pick to select Oregon defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell

Caldwell may have been overdrafted, but he will come in with an immediate chance to help shore up what appears to be a weak defensive front. The team lost Poona Ford in free agency this offseason and has an overall lack of depth along the unit heading toward the coming season.

That gives Caldwell a chance to be an immediate contributor as a rookie. 

Caldwell began his college career at Houston before transferring to Oregon ahead of the 2024 season. He had 8.5 sacks during his collegiate career but he will be brought in to eat up space in the middle and slow down the rushing attack of the opposition, something the Chargers struggled with last season. 

Caldwell will compete with the likes of Teair Tart, Otito Ogbinnia, Da'Shawn Hand, Naquan Jones and last year's third-round pick, Justin Eboigbe. There is certainly room for him to be a contributor there. 

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Caldwell stands 6-foot-2 and comes in at a shade over 330 pounds. He has the size to be a classic nose tackle, something Jim Harbaugh values in his defense but he has the athletic ability to make plays from the defensive end spots as well. 

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.