With the start of the new year, there is plenty of room for breakouts and surprises. With the Los Angeles Chargers, this entire team is expected to look vastly different, due to scheme, coaching, and player changes. As it pertains to the week one Chargers vs Las Vegas Raiders matchup, these three Chargers will be important for you to keep an eye on.
The First Round Rookie’s First Game is Trial By Fire: Joe Alt
The fifth overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft was Notre Dame’s Joe Alt. The offensive tackle has NFL bloodlines, as his father was a long-time Chief. His dad knows quite a bit about the AFC rivalries. For the rookie’s first-ever game, he has to go up against Raiders super-star, Maxx Crosby. Although a tough matchup, what he has shown thus far has been nothing short of spectacular. His PFF preseason grade was 70.9, a strong number for a 21-year-old rookie.
Crosby does not like matching up with Rashawn Slater, the Chargers left tackle, so he will try his luck with the 6’8 behemoth that is Alt. This matchup will be a very fun watch for Chargers fans, as we can see the true potential of our fifth overall investment. If Alt has a bad game, that was expected. Nerves, inexperience, and playing against an all-pro defensive end are all very reasonable factors to slip up in Week 1.
If the rookie holds his own or even better, wins his matchups with Crosby, the Chargers may have well just gotten a future hall-of-fame caliber player on their hands. Only Sunday will give us a clearer picture of how Alt will do, in comparison of what we predict.
New Scheme, New Daiyan Henley
Second-year Linebacker, Daiyan Henley is ready to take the league by storm. After being crowned a fan-favorite Chargers selection last season, he had a very quiet rookie season. Whether it was dealing with an injury, lack of favoritism by the previous coaching regime (yes, this really did happen), or simply needing more snaps at Linebacker, Henley was not as productive as we all may have thought initially.
Henley is a converted wide receiver and defensive back and has only been playing linebacker for a small amount of time, with another off-season of playing the position under his belt he has earned a starting role next to veteran, Denzel Perryman. His first game as the starter will not be a breeze, as he will be lining up on Raiders playmakers like Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, and Zamir White. Known for his coverage skills, he will truly be put to the test in week one.
A completely revitalized Daiyan Henley has garnered the attention of this new coaching staff, and that is something we should see very quickly on the field in the Chargers vs Raiders Matchup on Sunday.
A Return To Form: Derwin James
The last Chargers player to look for in the Chargers vs Raiders matchup in week one is the veteran Safety, Derwin James. The former runner-up for defensive rookie of the year, had a rough season under Brandon Staley last season. Whether it was untimely penalties, missed games, or poor play, James simply did not seem himself.
In this Week 1 game, he will be tested as Davante Adams, Brock Bowers, and Jakobi Meyers are all wonderful targets to throw to. However, the Raiders quarterback situation is not one to be desired, so the opportunity to make plays is very much in the fold for the former all-pro safety.
Now this season, in a brand new defense under Jesse Minter that will have fewer things on the veteran’s plate, he is likely to return to form. He will spend less time lining everyone else up and will spend more time focusing on his assignments. If the vintage Derwin James can come out in this Raiders matchup, the league could be in trouble.
Main Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
