With a new regime came changes for the Los Angeles Chargers, especially with them going into the off-season with cap problems. What wasn’t expected is that, within a few months, both of the starters Keenan Allen and Mike Williams would be gone. No new big-name starters were brought in, but two rookies and one free agent were brought in. That leaves the Chargers receiving corps in a bit of a state of flux, or at least a transitional period. There’s at least one remaining “veteran” who is decently dependable, but who else will step up to give Justin Herbert reliable targets?
2024 Los Angeles Chargers Wide Receivers Preview
The Incumbent Starter: Josh Palmer
Palmer is the last remaining receiver on the team who has had much notable success – and that’s been mostly as a backup. His skillset is not that dissimilar to Keenan Allen’s, albeit with less separation. He’s always stepped up nicely when Allen and/or Williams were hurt; he had 769 receiving yards in 2022 and 581 in 2023.
The question is if he will be able to handle a full-time WR1 workload. He’s in his fourth year, and while him putting up a 1,000-yard season isn’t out of the question by any means, it’s hard to imagine him filling Allen’s shoes permanently. It will be easier if someone is able to step up at WR2 opposite him and take some of the pressure off him. He is definitely a capable receiver, but the jury’s out as to whether he can be “the” guy permanently.
Quentin Johnston
While Quentin Johnston showed occasional flashes, his rookie season overall was disastrous, marred by drops and poor route-running. The Chargers seem to be betting heavily that he’ll be able to take a step forward in his rookie year. For whatever it’s worth, he seems to be aware enough that he needs to improve, so hopefully with some work with the new staff, he will be able to take a step forward in his second year. He would not be the first first-round Chargers receiver in the last decade to follow this pattern (Mike Williams). But it’s not hard to see why some Chargers fans are nervous about him going into the season.
Free Agency Pickup: D.J. Chark
Chark was the lone free agency pickup for the Chargers. For those not as familiar with him, he is a speedster type, but struggles with separation (one might question why the Chargers seem to refuse to acquire receivers that get separation reliably). Chark has had his high points, but has also had his downs. He had a 1,000-yard season in 2019 with the Jacksonville Jaguars and a Pro Bowl appearance.
Most recently he was stuck on the Carolina Panthers last year. In that capacity he had 525 yards – second-best on the team – and five touchdowns. Based on that and his other recent numbers, one could reasonably expect him to be a WR2 or WR3 type with big-play potential. Right now, Chark seems the most likely candidate for Herbert to look to if he’s trying to get a big play downfield. He shouldn’t be expected to be a total game-changer for the Chargers wide receivers, though.
The Rookies: Ladd McConkey, Brenden Rice, Cornelius Johnson
The Chargers took three rookies in this year’s Draft. McConkey was the highest-drafted at No. 34 overall in the second round. The Chargers actually traded up a few picks to get him, so they must be fairly confident in him. He’s a case of not being the most physically gifted receiver per se, but may have the drive and intangibles to succeed at the next level. Whether he will be able to be an immediate-impact player or not remains to be seen.
Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson were both selected in the seventh round. Rice is sort of the opposite of McConkey – more physically gifted and can essentially just out-fight defensive backs to get the ball, but is a bit of a raw prospect and lacking in areas like route-running. He may need some work, but he has promise. He will likely be fighting for the final receiver spot on the roster with Johnson, whose main selling point seems to be being a Michigan alumni for Jim Harbaugh.
Everyone Else
Derius Davis rounds out the group of most likely to make the final roster – mainly because he’s the return man, and an All-Pro one at that. I would still like to see what he could be capable of as a pass-catcher, because he didn’t get much opportunity for that last year.
Simi Fehoko did catch a touchdown from Herbert last year, but he is likely destined for the practice squad. There’s too much competition and barring an unexpected breakout from him, there simply won’t be room for him on the final roster of Chargers wide receivers.
After that, all that remains are the undrafted free agents – Leon Johnson, Jaylen Johnson, and Jaelen Gill – who will all have uphill battles and are most likely to be just training camp bodies and/or potential practice squad competitors.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
