Choosing standouts in the early days of Los Angeles Chargers training camp is like saying who’ll win the Super Bowl. One day a person can have an amazing practice and the next, they barely make a blip. But with August on the horizon, it is worth pointing out who has looked good thus far at Los Angeles Chargers Training Camp.
Here are some players that are on my radar so far.
Five Standouts From Early Days Of Los Angeles Chargers Training Camp
Cornerback, Cam Hart
Hart was the talk of the first day of training camp. Eric Smith of Chargers.com noted how he had an interception on wide receiver Jaylen Johnson, “by leaping up and taking possession of the 50-50 ball.”
Both safety Derwin James and head coach Jim Harbaugh mentioned him during their post-camp press conferences.
Harbaugh remarked in particular that Hart has length, range, and instincts, and also compared him to James. Things are heating up in the slot cornerback position.
Related: Stay Up To Date On The Latest Los Angeles Chargers News
Wide Receiver, Quentin Johnston
A lot of talk surrounded Johnston during the offseason as he headed into camp, and it appears so far that he’s working hard to silence some of that.
Daniel Popper of The Athletic noted on day 3 how Johnston beat cornerback Zamari Walton for a reception from Herbert and said, “Johnston reacted to the throw, shifting his body to the sideline to make the catch with outstretched hands. Great adjustment. Great grab.”
Smith meanwhile noted that Johnston caught an 18-yarder for a touchdown from quarterback Easton Stick during a 2-minute drill on day two.
Harbaugh remarked that the criticism of Johnston isn’t warranted, while Justin Herbert said during his press conference that Johnston has a good attitude and they expect good things from him this year.
Now Johnston hasn’t been perfect. Popper did note on day five that he had a drop during the 11-11 period. “Herbert delivered one of his best and most accurate throws of camp, dropping in over Fulton and into Johnston’s hands. It clanged off Johnston’s hands and fell incomplete. Johnston was audibly frustrated after the drop.”
Johnston’s still rough around the edges, still a work in progress. But if he can keep up with the receptions, and as Popper notes in his article, get those deep balls, Johnston could carve out a higher spot on the depth chart.
Wide Receiver, D.J. Chark Jr.
Chark seems to be finding his place in Chargers camp. On two consecutive days, Smith noted some long-range receptions from the veteran.
One was on day three, on a 35-yard reception from Stick for a touchdown, and the other was on day two for a more than 30-yard reception from Herbert during 11-on-11.
In addition to being plagued by injuries, Chark appears to have been struggling to find his place in an offense since leaving Jacksonville. On a one-year contract with the Chargers, Chark has a chance for a reset with a new coaching staff and a new team, and perhaps some of the early receptions are a sign of things to come.
Related: More Drops From Quentin Johnston?
Right Tackle, Joe Alt
According to Anthony De Leon of the Los Angeles Times, “at right tackle, Alt has demonstrated immense power and stellar footwork throughout the first few days of camp. Alt has looked physically impressive against the defense in first-team reps.”
Popper noted on Monday, on the first day that pads were on, that Alt was actually able to stand up to edge rusher Joey Bosa during some of the one-on-ones, and switched back and forth between left and right tackle whenever left tackle Rashawn Slater was not participating.
I’m curious to see more from Alt as the padded practices continue, and it’s good to see he’s already started living up to his first-round status.
Kicker, Cameron Dicker
Dicker has a bit of a different task ahead of him this year at training camp. Instead of having to win a spot and beat out veteran kicker Dustin Hopkins, he instead has to keep up a picture-perfect season, where few kicks were missed. Well, it seems like he’s off to a good start.
Day four was definitely a highlight reel day for Dicker as, according to Smith, he made all kicks attempted including ones from 50, 53, and 55 yards. I expect his stats to keep being just as impressive this year and if they are, maybe he’ll actually get a Pro Bowl nomination.