Who is Da'Shawn Hand? 5 things to know about Chargers new defensive tackle

Defensive lineman Poona Ford was a big loss to begin free agency for the Chargers. After an excellent 2024 campaign, he decided to sign across town with the Rams.

It appears the Chargers will replace him by committee, and one of those guys will be Da'Shawn Hand. Let's get to know the veteran defensive lineman, who signed a one-year deal worth up to $3.3 million.

Run stopper

Hand's best attribute is his ability to stop the run. That will fit in nicely for a group that needed to recoup along the defensive line. The Chargers were the No. 1 scoring defense in 2024, and adding pieces like this to stop the run will only help.

Lack of a pass rusher

On the flip side, don't expect much pass-rushing from Hand. Across 1,775 career defensive snaps, he has logged just five sacks. Three of those came in his 2018 rookie campaign with the Lions. Since then, he has just two sacks in his last 51 games.

Minimal starting experience

Hand has spent seven years in the NFL, and he's played over 50% of his team's defensive snaps in four of those campaigns. That said, he has still been used primarily as a rotational piece. Hand has started just 13 games in his career, eight of which came in his rookie year. He'll have a chance to grow that number in 2025, though, with the Chargers.

By the margins

One thing is clear: the Chargers are trying to find gems in free agency, just like they did last off-season. A few guys, notably Kristian Fulton and J.K. Dobbins, stepped up and exceeded expectations on one-year deals. The front office is trying more of the same this offseason, and Hand is the latest example of that. His one-year deal is worth up to $3.3 million, one that can pay off in a big way if he performs to his capabilities.

Another Alabama product

The Chargers began the offseason by solving their running back issues in the form of Najee Harris, a former Alabama star. Add Hand to the list of former Alabama products. He was a part of some of those prime Alabama teams and was able to win two National Championships in his time. That success led to Hand landing in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Who is Da'Shawn Hand? 5 things to know about Chargers new DT

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