Former Lion Kyle Van Noy lands deal with Los Angeles Chargers

Kyle Van Noy, a former second-round pick of the Lions, has landed with the Los Angeles Chargers after the draft.

When the NFL Draft is over, there is a smattering of free agent signings as notable names have clarity on potential landing spots and teams have needs they didn’t address. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, a 2014 second-round pick of the Lions, landed with the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year deal this week.

The Lions took Van Noy with the 40th overall pick in the 2014 draft out of BYU. He spent two-plus seasons in Detroit, playing in 30 games with seven starts and one sack before a trade to the New England Patriots in the middle of the 2016 season.

It was in New England that Van Noy found better traction in his career, with 5.5, 3.5 and 6.5 sacks over the next three full seasons. He landed a $51 million contract from the Miami Dolphins in 2020, but was released just one season in and landed back with the Patriots in 2021.

Kyle Van Noy lands in nice situation with the Chargers

Van Noy’s snap share (81 percent) was his lowest since 2016 last year, but he still compiled 66 total tackles with five sacks and 10 pass breakups. He allowed just a 69.3 passer rating in his coverage, and has noted by MLive he was Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked coverage linebacker in 2021. Even on the wrong side of 30 now (31), Van Noy still offers quite a bit as a versatile playmaker.

The Chargers have loaded up their defense this offseason, trading for Khalil Mack, signing cornerback J.C. Jackson to a big free agent deal and adding defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day in free agency.

Where the Chargers are lacking, on the whole, is playoff experience. Van Noy has two Super Bowl rings from his time with the Patriots, and he has played in 12 total postseason games in his career (including one with the Lions). Beyond what he adds to the Chargers’ defense on the field, that experience is also a notable addition for a team trying to become a legit contender in the AFC.