His argument can be debated.

But as Brandon Mebane settles into a new locker room, the veteran nose tackle and former Super Bowl champion can’t be faulted for applying his experience with the Seahawks toward the growing confidence of a young Chargers defense.

Mebane spent nine seasons in Seattle. In that span, he anchored the interior line to some of the league’s most formidable defenses, including the 2013 and 2014 units that appeared in consecutive Super Bowls. Those defenses, of course, weren’t short on talent. Neither is the one Mebane sees in San Diego.

Quite the opposite, he said Monday.


“Offense, defense, there’s so much talent on this team,” Mebane, 31, said. “It’s unreal. I was telling guys, there’s more talent on this defense than in Seattle. If you look at the draft, you’ve got four first-round draft picks. You’ve got five second-round draft picks, all total on defense. In Seattle, we only had two first rounders and one second rounder. Everybody else was pretty much down in the draft or undrafted.

“If we put it together and just play together and work on our skill, I think the sky is the limit for this defense. It’s amazing. Based on the skill and the talent level, it’s there. All we have to do is believe in each other and play together. Man, it’s unreal.”

1 / 30 San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers works out during a spring practice. (K.C. Alfred) 2 / 30 San Diego Chargers Branden Oliver works out during a spring practice. (K.C. Alfred) 3 / 30 San Diego Chargers fullback Derek Watt works out during a spring practice. (K.C. Alfred) 4 / 30 San Diego Chargers Dontrelle Inman, left, and Danny Woodhead work out during a spring practice. (K.C. Alfred) 5 / 30 San Diego Chargers Darrell Stuckey works out during a spring practice. (K.C. Alfred) 6 / 30 San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt looks on during a spring practice. (K.C. Alfred) 7 / 30 San Diego Chargers center Matt Slauson works out for the first time with the team, in front of quarterback Philip Rivers. (K.C. Alfred) 8 / 30 San Diego Chargers safety Jahleel Addae works out during a spring practice. (K.C. Alfred) 9 / 30 San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers works out during a spring practice. (K.C. Alfred) 10 / 30 San Diego Chargers center Matt Slauson works out for the first time with the team. (K.C. Alfred) 11 / 30 San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon works out during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 12 / 30 San Diego Chargers quarterbacks Bryn Renner, left, Kellen Clemens, and Philip Rivers work out during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 13 / 30 San Diego Chargers Keenan Allen makes a catch during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 14 / 30 San Diego Chargers wide receiver Travis Benjamin leaves the field after an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 15 / 30 San Diego Chargers Danny Woodhead works out during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 16 / 30 San Diego Chargers wide receiver Javontee Herndon makes a catch during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 17 / 30 he San Diego Chargers offense runs a play during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 18 / 30 he San Diego Chargers offense runs a play during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 19 / 30 San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordonl works out during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 20 / 30 San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers works out during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 21 / 30 San Diego Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett works out during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 22 / 30 San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon works out during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 23 / 30 San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon works out during an offseason practice. (K.C. Alfred) 24 / 30 Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers talks the media after the first offseason workout. (K.C. Alfred) 25 / 30 Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers talks the media after the first offseason workout. (K.C. Alfred) 26 / 30 Chargers Jason Verrett walks out to team’s first offseason workout. (K.C. Alfred) 27 / 30 Chargers, Jason Verrett, left, Matt Daniels, and Darrell Stuckey work out with a medicine ball during the team’s first offseason workout. (K.C. Alfred) 28 / 30 Chargers Jason Verrett works out with a medicine ball during the team’s first offseason workout. (K.C. Alfred) 29 / 30 Chargers Jahleel Addae walks out to the team’s first offseason workout. (K.C. Alfred) 30 / 30 Chargers Brandon Mebane gets a drink of water during an offseason workout. (K.C. Alfred)

Draft pedigree, it can be argued, is not synonymous with talent.


× Brandon Mebane on Chargers defense

But to Mebane’s point, the Chargers have made significant investments in their defense through the draft.

Four of the team’s past six first-round picks were defensive players, spanning from defensive end Corey Liuget (2011), outside linebacker Melvin Ingram (2012), cornerback Jason Verrett (2014) and defensive end Joey Bosa (2016). General Manager Tom Telesco selected a second-round linebacker in his first three drafts, beginning with inside linebacker Manti Te’o in 2013 and then outside linebacker Jerry Attaochu and inside linebacker Denzel Perryman in 2014 and 2015.

Veteran cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Casey Hayward were second-round picks for the Chiefs and Packers, respectively.


Safety Earl Thomas and defensive end Bruce Irvin are the first-round Seahawks picks to which Mebane referenced. Irvin signed with the Raiders this offseason. Of the Seahawks’ core players, linebacker Bobby Wagner was a second-round pick.

Seattle took Mebane in the 2007 third round out of California.