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SAN DIEGO – As we begin our preview of the defensive ends available in the 2012 NFL Draft, here’s a look at players the Chargers have drafted at the position.

Player: Corey Liuget
Drafted: 2011, first round (18^th overall)
School: Illinois
Career with Chargers: San Diego carries high expectations for Liuget. The Chargers hadn’t selected a defensive end in the first round in 19 years (Chris Mims, 1992) when they took Liuget last April, and the low-centered 6-foot-2, 300-pound rookie played in 15 games, starting 13. After an active preseason, Liuget made 26 tackles, five for loss, one sack, forced and recovered a fumble and deflected three passes in the regular season.

Player: Vaughn Martin
Drafted: 2009, fourth round (113^th overall)
School: Western Ontario
Career with Chargers: Martin spent his first two years improving technique and learning the NFL game after picking up football in Canada. Drafted for his upside and athleticism, Martin played 20 games his first two years with minimal production. One of the most improved players during last year’s training camp, Martin started 15 games for an injured Luis Castillo and finished second on the defensive line with 49 tackles. He also made five tackles for loss and one sack, and the Chargers foresee even more from him this season.

Player: Leslie O’Neal
Drafted: 1986, first round (8^th overall)
School: Oklahoma State
Career with Chargers: San Diego’s all-time leading pass rusher is tied for ninth in NFL history with 132.5 career sacks, including 105.5 with the Chargers. He made the Pro Bowl six times between 1989-95, topping 12 sacks in each year but ’91 during that span (9). He started 111 of 112 games for the Bolts in that stretch and made 572 tackles in his nine years with the team. The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in ’86, O’Neal is a member of San Diego’s 50^th-Anniversary All-Time Team.

Player: Lee Williams
Drafted: 1984, first round (6^th overall)
School: Bethune-Cookman
Career with Chargers: Third in Chargers history with 65.5 career sacks in a Bolts uniform, Williams teamed with O’Neal to create a strong pass rush in the late 1980s. Williams made 48 sacks in a four-year stretch from 1986-89, a Pro Bowl starter the last two of those seasons. His 15 sacks in ’86 are the third-highest single-season total by a Chargers player behind O’Neal (17 in ’92) and Shawne Merriman (17 in ’06).        

Player: Earl Faison
Drafted: 1961, first round (7^th overall)
School: Indiana
Career with Chargers: The first-ever draft pick for the Chargers in San Diego, Faison made the AFL All-Star game in his first five seasons, earning first-team All-Pro honors in four of those years. The AFL Rookie of the Year in 1961, Faison later earned defensive MVP of the AFL All-Star game in ’63 and was defensive captain of the Chargers in ’64. A member of the Fearsome Foursome, Faison fought through double and triple teams to harass AFL quarterbacks. He’s also in the Chargers Hall of Fame and a part of its 50^th-Anniversary All-Time Team.

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