Jaylen Watkins was in the midst of an impressive training camp and preseason before suffering an ACL injury in the team's second exhibition game against the Seattle Seahawks. He was subsequently lost for the year, but General Manager Tom Telesco revealed after the season that the team had several ideas on how they'd utilize the versatile defensive back.
"He was kind of going to be a nickel corner, a little bit of a safety," he said. "We didn't have him on the field long enough to see exactly what his role was going to be."
The Chargers will now get that chance as the team officially re-signed Watkins on Monday.
Watkins initially entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick (101st overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2014 NFL Draft. He appeared in 36 games with five starts over four seasons, totaling 56 tackles with eight passes defensed while making a big impact on special teams.
The 5-11, 194-pound defensive back emerged as a valuable member of the Eagles secondary during his final two years in Philadelphia, appearing in 28 games with five starts while totaling 49 tackles and three passes defensed. Watkins suited up in all three postseason games for the Eagles during his final season with the team, including their 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
