{"id":97032,"date":"2020-10-29T20:46:56","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T00:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=97032"},"modified":"2020-10-30T13:30:11","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T17:30:11","slug":"unexpected-rise-jalen-guyton-deep-pass-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/10\/29\/unexpected-rise-jalen-guyton-deep-pass-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Unexpected Rise of Jalen Guyton as a Deep Pass Threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few months ago, even most Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> fans probably had no idea who Jalen Guyton<\/strong><\/a> was. Even though he was on the active roster late in the 2019 season, he never had a single catch. Initially, there was little reason to expect he\u2019d be a part of the offense at all. The Chargers drafted two rookie wide receivers, and it was figured that one or both of them would fill the vacant wide receiver spot(s) behind Keenan Allen<\/a><\/strong> and Mike Williams<\/a><\/strong>. And yet, here we are; six games done and Guyton has three touchdowns, two of them for 70+ yards. Where did this come from?<\/p>\n

Unexpected Rise of Jalen Guyton<\/h2>\n

Off-Season Competition<\/h3>\n

As previously stated, it was originally assumed that one of the rookies would fill the third (and possibly fourth, though they don\u2019t run a ton of four-wide sets) wide receiver spots \u2013 Joe Reed<\/strong><\/a> and K.J. Hill<\/a><\/strong>. However, as it turned out, head coach Anthony Lynn<\/strong><\/a> was looking for something very specific for that spot. In the past, they had Tyrell Williams<\/strong><\/a> and\/or Travis Benjamin<\/a><\/strong> in that slot, and had used them heavily as deep pass threats. Unfortunately, this didn\u2019t work so well in 2019 as Williams had departed and Benjamin got injured early in the season, forcing them to rely on the likes of Andre Patton<\/a> <\/strong>in that spot \u2013 which was generally disastrous.<\/p>\n

With Benjamin (and eventually Patton) gone this year, Lynn was looking for somebody new to fit that spot. Neither Hill nor Reed could fit the bill there. They both made the roster and have been in the rotation occasionally. But for that speed\/deep pass threat Lynn wanted, he would have to look elsewhere. The result was a couple of receivers making the roster that probably nobody had heard of (outside of fans who closely watched training camp) \u2013 Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson<\/strong><\/a> (who also has one long touchdown catch this year).<\/p>\n

Guyton\u2019s Rise<\/h3>\n

Guyton was an undrafted free agent in 2019, initially signed by the Dallas Cowboys. However, he did not survive the final roster cuts. The Chargers signed him to their practice squad in October. They activated him about a month later due to how depleted their wide receiver corps was. As previously mentioned, he didn\u2019t record any catches.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, Guyton was closer to what Lynn was looking for as he became the primary third receiver. While we didn\u2019t see that intended result until Week 4, he did catch his first touchdown in Week 2 for 14 yards, on what was also Justin Herbert<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s first career touchdown pass.<\/p>\n

Week 4 saw him unleash his potential, as he only had one catch but it went for a 72-yard touchdown on a long bullet from Herbert. On Week 5, he again only had one catch, but it went for 49 yards. And on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a>, he had two catches for 84 yards including a 70-yard touchdown off another long pass from Herbert. So far, Guyton doesn\u2019t have a lot of catches \u2013 only eight \u2013 but he has 258 yards and three touchdowns. His role may not be huge in quantity, but he\u2019s been extremely effective with the looks he has gotten.<\/p>\n

Last Word on Jalen Guyton<\/h3>\n

Guyton still is ultimately a lower option on this Chargers team behind Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Hunter Henry<\/a><\/strong>. But Herbert seems to have gotten in a rhythm of trying to get him a deep ball at least once a game. This may also point to Herbert\u2019s ability to throw very accurate deep passes. But even if Guyton\u2019s not the most critical piece on this team by any means, his ability to stretch the field and reliably catch the ball is still a bonus for this offense \u2013 and a welcome one at that.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>