Kyle Emanuel was recruited to North Dakota State as an inside linebacker. His first college practices were at inside linebacker. Then, in that first week, two defensive linemen were injured on the same day, prompting coaches to move him to defensive end. He has lived life on the edge ever since, be it at end or outside linebacker.

Until now.

The Chargers are dealing with an injury onslaught at inside linebacker, preparing to enter Sunday’s matchup against the run-heavy Titans without their top four players at the position. They looked outside to find help within. Emanuel is expected to start and see significant snaps in the interior this weekend.

The coaching staff believes he can handle it.


“He’s a football player,” coach Mike McCoy said. “I think from the very first day he got here, we knew we had a very talented player. When we drafted him last year (in the fifth round), just the way he approaches the game, the way he plays the game, his toughness — he’s a smart player. That’s one of those guys we’ve always tooled with, moving him around.”

Injuries demanded the position switch be made now.

At inside linebacker, San Diego lost co-captain Manti Te’o (Achilles) in Week 3 and Nick Dzubnar (knee) in Week 4 to season-ending injuries. Starter Denzel Perryman and reserve Jatavis Brown have handled the bulk of reps this year and fared well; Brown was Pepsi Rookie of the Week in Week 6 and Perryman was AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 7. But Perryman and Brown exited last Sunday’s Week 8 game in Denver with hamstring and knee ailments, respectively.

Neither practiced Wednesday. Neither is expected to play Sunday, sources have said. McCoy was not ready to go to that length publicly Wednesday. None of the seven players on the 53-man roster who missed practice Wednesday are ruled out, he said.


There is no disputing the challenge ahead.

To begin this season, the Chargers carried five inside linebackers on their 53-man roster. Of the five, barring a surprise, only rookie fourth-round pick Joshua Perry will be available against Tennessee, which averages 152.2 rushing yards per game, third-most in the NFL. DeMarco Murray and rookie Derrick Henry form a physical, downhill duo at running back. And the Titans don’t just line up and go; they use pre-snap shifting and motioning in an attempt to confuse defenders’ grasp of their alignment and assignments.

In other words, this makes one heck of a week for the 250-pound Emanuel to settle in at the strong-side, or Mike, backer position. He said that he has practiced there some in recent weeks, even seeing a few reps in Week 6 versus the Raiders.

“I’ve said since day one, when I was entering the draft, I’m just going to do whatever I can to help a team win or, at that point, make a team,” Emanuel said. “Wherever they want me, I’ll be. … I think the biggest thing for us (Sunday) is seeing the final formation and getting aligned. It’s easier said than done with all those shifts and motions. They basically try to get you out of whack. If you can see the final formation and get aligned, then it’s just ‘play ball.’”


Korey Toomer, signed in late September off the Raiders’ practice squad, likely will start beside Emanuel in the base defense. Between them and Perry, all three figure to play Sunday. The Chargers also may promote Deon King, a rookie from Norfolk State, off the practice squad for added depth and special-teams help. That transaction can come as late as Saturday.

Last week, Perry was listed on the injury report with his own knee injury. But he has been able to continue practice, finding himself somehow as the inside linebacker with the most experience in coordinator John Pagano’s defense of the options available. Perry said that he is building each week; his 35 defensive snaps this past Sunday were a season high.

Toomer is also building.

Much of his NFL background comes from a 4-3 scheme, so to some degree, both of the Chargers’ starting inside linebackers are in the middle of a positional adjustment period. Toomer has earned a good amount of trust early. His athleticism and play making — he’s forced two fumbles the past three games, however dropping an interception Sunday — are enough to place a feather in the cap of the franchise’s pro scouting department.


Toomer credited Perryman and Brown, among others, for helping prepare him. Perryman worked with him 1-on-1 Wednesday after practice.

“These linebackers and coaches have brought us along a long way,” Toomer said. “I feel great about the linebacker corps. I don’t feel like we’ll miss a beat in this game. I feel like we’ll be prepared and ready by Sunday. … Kyle and I are going to play off each other well.

“As far as us being new and at different positions, it’s ‘see ball, get ball’ for us. We’re going to know our assignments and what to do. We’ve got to take it over because these guys are aggressive, downhill running backs. We’ve got to bring it to them just like they’re going to try to bring it to us.”

There is a chance that safety Jahleel Addae, out since a Week 3 clavicular fracture, could return Sunday. Emanuel’s versatility and Addae’s potential return — the latter is a physical presence in the run game —may help mitigate the team’s otherwise daunting state at inside linebacker. Outside linebacker Jerry Attaochu (ankle) has missed the past two games. If he could return, that’d be an added bonus.


Officially, the Chargers listed Addae as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. Attaochu was labeled a non-participant.

michael.gehlken@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @SDUTgehlken

UPDATES:


5 p.m.: This story was updated with additional information & quotes.