Caldwell’s numbers were solid in Year 1 as he totaled 31 tackles, a sack and five tackles for loss.
And a closer look shows that his rookie season was even better than those numbers.
The defensive lineman finished the regular season second among all rookies at his position with nine tackles for either a loss or no gain, a figure that was 12th in the entire NFL. He also tied for fifth among rookies with 16 run stops.
It led him to finish with the best Pro Football Focus’ run-defense grade among rookie defensive linemen with at least 300 snaps (67.1), a figure that was also in the Top 20 among the rest of the league.
The 11th player taken in his draft at his position, Caldwell showed the ability to outperform his draft slot.
Now with added depth in the room in this year’s Chargers defense that could allow him to show even more versatility, Solak believes Caldwell is ready for a breakout year in 2026.
The Chargers added Dalvin Tomlinson, a quintessential run-stuffing nose tackle, in free agency. It’s easy to infer they’ll give Caldwell a few more pass-rush opportunities besides Tomlinson, and he has the requisite quickness and flexibility to be a quick penetration player who creates cleanup opportunities for other rushers.