“Drug test that man”. This is what people were jokingly saying when Chargers’ rookie cornerback Tahreeb Still stole the show in the December 3, 2024, game against the Falcons. In that game, he made three solo tackles, but they were spot-on to hold Kirk Cousins and Falcon at 13 points only. But known as a cornerback, do you know Tahreeb used to handle two roles during his high school and college days like 2025 draft prospect Travis Hunter?

This is what Still talked about when he was on the Rich Eisen Show. While sharing his experience of getting drafted by Jim Harbaugh’s Bolts as 137th pick in round 5, he also shared the experience of playing two roles initially. However, that was before talking about switching roles. Tahreeb said, “Growing up, playing football, high school really played a lot of receiver. And then I started playing more DB and started getting more offers.” That was impressive as he got drafted in the 5th round for being a two-sided weapon. Then, he added why he switched roles. 

Tahreeb continued, “I ended up choosing Maryland, switching from receiver to DB. So, I was always told like playing receiver you got to rely on a lot of things that happen for you to get the ball but me.” And added, “I was just trying to find any way I could play on the field. And then my high school coach always told me playing DB would also lead me to a better path later on. Obviously, everyone wants to score touchdowns and things like that. But I just wanted to do what will work for me and really what I could excel at. So I really just switched to DB, and it’s been going good.” No doubt Tahreeb is going great, helping out his team as a defender. 

The Chargers No. 29 has solo tackled 45 players last season while making four interceptions. The rookie ranks 10th in the entire league to make interceptions. Don’t be surprised. He deflected 10 passes last year. 2024 was Tahreeb’s first season in the big leagues. The fans know that he will make more great plays in the 2025 season. However, going into the new season, Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers are facing a mounting defensive issue. Let’s check that out. 

Did Jim Harbaugh miss a major defensive red flag?

Let’s get directly to the core part of the major problem. According to Sports Illustrated’s Matthew Schmidt, Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers may address its defensive line on Day 1 of the draft. According to various reports, this process is tiresome, given that the Chargers could have simply avoided the problem altogether by keeping Kaylon Nakia Ford Jr, also known as Poona Ford. 

Yeah, you read that right. Though they have signed Naquan Jones and Da’Shawn Hand, the Chargers can’t forget the mistake they have made. According to The Athletic, “He played like a borderline top-10 player at his position. The Chargers needed him back. Instead, they let him walk across town for a deal.” In this offseason, the Bolts couldn’t retain Ford. So, the Rams signed him on a three-year, $27.6 million deal.

In the last season, Ford made 24 solo tackles out of 39 total tackles. He also played all games, according to his ESPN profile. That shows he was consistently present on the field to help out Justin Herbert’s 53-man team. But that did not happen. And now Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers may face a lot of headaches to find a defensive tackle like Poona Ford.