Next up in our 90-in-90 series is veteran cornerback Deane Leonard! From seventh-round pick to entering his fifth season with the Chargers, let’s get to know him and how he came to be here all the way from Canada!
The Basics
Height: 6’0
Weight: 195 pounds
College: Ole Miss/Calgary
Experience: 4
Deane Leonard was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he attended nearby Notre Dame High School. In 2014, he helped his school win the Provincial Title while also lettering in both basketball and track.
Also
a fun fact: Chargers teammate Amen Ogbongbemiga also played alongside Leonard at Notre Dame.
Following his prep career, Leonard played three seasons for the University of Calgary where he helped them win the Vanier Cup in 2019. In 23 games, he recorded six interceptions and was twice named an All-Canadian selection.
Prior to the 2020 college football season, Leonard transferred to Ole Miss where he’d finish out his college career. His first year in Oxford saw him earn a pair of starts while seeing action in eight total games. Leonard earned a full-time starting job at cornerback in 2021 and finished with 50 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and seven pass breakups.
At Ole Miss’ pro day, Leonard impressed with a 4.39 40 time at 6’0 and 195 pounds. He also had a solid 4.18 in the short shuttle but underwhelmed with a 33-inch vertical.
Leonard would eventually be selected by the Chargers in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft with the 236th-overall pick. The year prior, Leonard was actually drafted second round of the 2021 CFL draft but decided to go back to Ole Miss for his final year of eligibiity.
As a rookie with the Chargers, Leonard played mainly on special teams but finished the year with five total tackles to go with a big-time forced fumble and recovery.
During the 2023 season, Leonard earned the first three starts of his career while playing in 11 total games. He ended the year with 28 total tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
Leonard played mainly in a special teams role during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, appearing in 18 games total over that span and recording 13 total tackles with one tackle for loss and three pass breakups.
The Good
Leonard offers excellent speed and agility which he utilizes as a mainstay on the team’s special teams coverages. The moment he’s likely remember for the most came against the Broncos during Monday Night Football his rokie season that helped the Chargers down Denver in overtime.
Leonard’s ability on special teams has cemented him as a core special teams player and that’s what will do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping him on the active roster for the foreseeable future.
The Bad
In four seasons, Leonard unfortunately has not progressed in a manner that has kept him within the two-deeps for the Chargers. His playing time has only gone down over the last two seasons and right now the only thing he offers the Bolts is a consistent and reliable role-player on kick coverages.
2026 Outlook
Leonard will likely be one of the last cornerbacks kept on the active roster barring some massive performance by the UDFAs signed by the team this offseason and last. Eric Rogers will return from injury and Niko Reed once solid in very limited snaps as a rookie. Those latter players may see more time on defense but it’s hard to argue that Leonard doesn’t deserve a spot on the roster given how important the third phase of the game has become in the modern NFL.
Cam Hart, Tarheeb Still, and Donte Jackson are the team’s top corners entering training camp. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the team add another veteran body to the room, but right now Leonard could be as high as the team’s CB4 or CB5, depending on how high Reed climbs before the season, if at all.
