As it is currently constructed, the Los Angeles Chargers‘ wide receiver room is one of the weakest in the NFL. On paper, there is certainly talent and room for growth, but the production and depth are lacking.
Right now, the six-player room looks something like:
- Ladd McConkey
- Mike Williams
- Quentin Johnston
- Jalen Reagor
- Derius Davis
- Brenden Rice
McConkey proved to be an extreme value pick in the 2nd round last year and has a very bright future. But after him, there are still too many question marks.
Former first-round pick Quentin Johnston demonstrated growth and finished the year with 711 yards and 8 touchdowns, but he was still inconsistent and unreliable at times.
The Chargers brought back Mike Williams, but it will be interesting to see if he can get back to his past form. Last year, between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, Williams only garnered 298 yards and 1 touchdown.
After that, the dropoff is even steeper. Reagor, Davis, and Rice combined for 212 total yards.
NFL expert Benjamin Solak agrees that this is a unit that should have been addressed more before the NFL Draft.
Benjamin Solak Does Not Love Los Angeles Chargers WR Room
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak recently ranked all 32 NFL teams’ free agency classes. He slotted the Chargers at 11th and praised the attention to the offensive line, particularly in adding Mehki Becton.
However, he did not love how the Bolts addressed the wide receiver position.
“The Chargers probably know they need another impactful pass-catcher alongside Ladd McConkey, and their inactivity in that market might reflect more on the available players than anything else,” writes Solak. “With that said: Losing Joshua Palmer to add Mike Williams is a downgrade at a position that needed to be upgraded. The fact that Williams returned and Jalen Reagor was re-signed has me worried they think their depth is acceptable – it absolutely isn’t. If McConkey misses even a single game, this passing game is up a creek without a paddle. They need a rookie to be impactful not just in Year 1, but in Week 1.”
Also Read: Latest Mock Draft Has Los Angeles Chargers Doing The Unthinkable
There was a time when the Chargers were linked to just about every receiver out there. From Tee Higgins to Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, and DK Metcalf. They ended up with none of them.
Los Angeles still had a very successful season, but the lack of a passing game, even with the great Justin Herbert, was obvious all season. They had a favorable schedule, and if the roster is not improved during the draft, they could face a regression in Jim Harbaugh’s second year.