The Chargers edge rusher group might be the most talented and deepest unit on the roster.
Let's meet Dylan Roney, a defensive assistant who is in charge of the outside linebackers.
Roney spent three seasons as a graduate assistant before joining Jim Harbaugh's staff this offseason.
Here is our Coaches' Corner with Roney:
Dylan, we appreciate your time. How has your first season in the NFL gone so far?
"It's been a lot of fun. I get to work with great guys and I'm learning a lot more than I even would have thought. It's been a great experience and then we just got to keep going."
What do you think has been the biggest difference for you going from college to the NFL?
"I think just the details that you really get into in the NFL, each week you're playing a really, really, really good team. So, just the details and preparation and then you have more time with the guys to prepare so you can really get into the details of the opponent's scheme, our scheme and how to be successful."
What do you like about your edge rusher room?
"Just the guys. We've obviously got some very experienced players and so I feel like I'm learning just as much from them, if not more, than they do from me. They've made me a lot better coach and I just try to give back everything I can to help them be at their best as well. But it's great energy. They know how to lock in when it's time to lock in, but they also keep it loose, which is really important. They're all great friends so it just makes it a lot of fun to be able to see how they interact with each other. And just listening to them coach each other is the best part."
You're 28 years old. How do you approach the age part of it when Khalil Mack is 33 and Joey Bosa is 29?
"From Day 1, the first day we met, I just told them to just look at me like I'm just a tool for you guys to use. Really, I look at it like we're just co-workers. They want to be their best, I want to be my best and I think it's just working together. They see that I'm just here to help them, I have their best interest at heart and seeing that really just helps them to buy into the things I'm putting out there, the things I'm coaching. Keep it professional and just keep it all about the main thing: getting better. They're such good guys that they just want to be their best and have truly just bought into it. I got very lucky with that."
Khalil is obviously a future Hall of Famer. What stands out about him now that you see him on a daily basis?
"His competitiveness. Whether we're in walkthrough or practice, he won't lose a rep. He loves everything when it comes to football. So serious and he always wants to be the best. He will be harder on himself than I'll ever be on him. I think that's very important to be an elite player with such high self-expectations and he has those for himself. He demands greatness of himself. It's a very special trait, especially when the guy has accomplished so much."
What have you admired about Joey's resiliency to kind of stick with it this year and come back from injury?
"Yeah, he's a tough guy and he really pushes himself. His dedication to his craft — even when he was missing some time — he's in there watching film, studying other pass rushers, coaching up the other guys when he wasn't practicing for a few weeks to stay locked in. He continues to do everything he can just to help us win games. That's his No. 1 focus and I'm just really appreciative of the unselfishness he has."
We've seen Tuli Tuipulotu flash quite a bit over the past month. What do you think has allowed him to do that?
"I think just more confidence in himself. As he's been in the system more, he's got more confidence. Coach Harbaugh brings up the 'Olive Jar Theory,' where once one comes out, they all start falling, right? He's a great rusher and I think just once he started, just kind of cleared the light and he got confidence in his rush and he's been able to produce more in terms of sacks. He's been just a master of his craft in terms of extra time after practice, extra time in meetings, just doing everything he can to be at his best and to get better. And I really think guys like Khalil and Joey coaching him up has helped him a lot, too."
It seems like Bud Dupree is loved by everyone. What has he added to your room?
"Bud has just the best energy you can find. Always just so positive, his practice habits, he's always running to the ball. He had a strip-sack against Tennessee, he had an interception versus Pittsburgh … We always say that the ball finds energy. Bud is as high energy as they come, which is just contagious. It rubs off on everybody."
Final one, what do you want your room to accomplish in the final stretch of the season?
"Be tone setters. But I think the biggest thing is just taking it one day at a time, honestly. A big focus for us this year has been, you know, one play at a time, one day at a time. What I'm looking for is just us to stay together, keep coaching each other and for us to stay locked in. What can I do today to get better? What's something else I can add to stack on top of that? Just stay with that approach."
