The Los Angeles Chargers could be without a key piece of the defense, as Khalil Mack exited the game Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders with an elbow injury.

Mack is expected to undergo further tests to determine the severity and length of his absence.

Should he miss an extended period of time, Los Angeles should be looking in the open market for another edge rusher. As it stands, Tuli Tuipulotu would sit atop the depth chart, with Bud Dupree and Caleb Murphy as the other active players at the position. Kyle Kennard has been a healthy scratch in the first two games.

With that, here are seven edge rushers that the Chargers could add.

Jaelen Phillips & Bradley Chubb, Dolphins

It’s still early to justify, but after starting the season 0-2 and not showing a lot of promise, the Dolphins could be sellers. Even though season-ending injuries have impacted each of the last two seasons, Phillips has shown a knack for living in the backfield as he had 22 sacks over the first three years of his career, including 2022 when he finished with a whopping 70 pressures. His teammate, Chubb, would also be an intriguing option. In 2024, Chubb missed the entire season due to a knee injury. But the season before that, he had a career year, posting 70 pressures, 11 sacks and six forced fumbles.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants

Currently 0-2, this could very well be another throwaway season for the Giants, which means they could look to get as much draft capital as possible to continue to build for the future. Given that New York also has Brian Burns and rookie Abdul Carter, they could afford to move off of Thibodeaux to land, at the very least, a quality Day 2 pick. Thibodeaux offers an immediate boost in the pass-rush department. In his career, he has posted solid numbers, including a 2023 season with 11.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. He would also reunite with Justin Herbert, as the two played college ball at Oregon.

Azeez Ojulari, Eagles

Speaking of the Giants, a former player of the team, Ojulari, demonstrated an ability to produce sacks, totaling 22.0 in his four seasons with them, despite being on a limited snap count. Now a member of the Eagles, Ojulari has been a healthy scratch the past two weeks. The 25-year-old would be a solid pass-rush specialist for the Bolts.

David Ojabo, Ravens

Ojabo is familiar with head coach Jim Harbaugh, having played at Michigan. He’s also familiar with general manager Joe Hortiz, who was with the Ravens when they drafted in 2022. Ojabo’s career has been plagued by injuries, but his potential is still high, given that he is still young and is a very athletic pass rusher with great traits. In the final year of his rookie contract, Ojabo could have a resurgence season in Los Angeles.

Carl Lawson, Free Agent

Despite a history of injuries, Lawson has proven to be a productive pass-rushing option. His best season came in 2020 while with the Bengals, when he totaled 64 total pressures, which ranked fourth among all edge rushers that year. Even while serving as a situational rusher, he has still proven to be a force off the edge, recording five sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and 27 pressures just this past season with the Cowboys.

Yannick Ngakoue, Free Agent

Ngakoue is another player who has a track record of consistently getting to the quarterback. He has recorded 70.5 career sacks over nine seasons in the NFL. Prior to an injury-shortened season in 2023, Ngakoue had a streak of seven consecutive seasons with at least eight sacks. He hasn’t been as effective since the injury, but the numbers speak for themselves and his veteran experience could be a nice addition to the Chargers’ edge rusher room.

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This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 8 edge rushers Chargers should consider adding in wake of Khalil Mack’s injury

Reporting by Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire / Chargers Wire

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