I asked fans on our Facebook and Twitter pages who they believe are the most under-appreciated players on the Chargers. For the most part, the answers were mutual.
With that being said, here are the four most under-appreciated members of Los Angeles heading into the 2020 season:
WR Mike Williams
The first season of Williams’ professional career wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as the former Clemson product was hampered by injuries. However, he quickly turned things around in his sophomore season, emerging as the player they were hoping to get. In 2018, Williams posted 10 touchdowns. In his third year in the league, he saw a decline in the touchdown category (2). But he still surpassed the 1,000-yard mark and had a league-high 20.4 yards per catch. The 25-year old had his fifth-year option picked up earlier this offseason, and he will be hoping to land a long-term commitment by doing what he does best by using his size, strength and coordination to make plays on the ball down the field look routine.
DE Melvin Ingram
For years now, Ingram has been a consistent anchor for the Chargers’ defensive line. He’s had a knack for pressuring the quarterback, drawing double-teams from opposing offensive linemen to allow other defensive linemen to get to the quarterback and serving as a stout run defender. Ingram failed to play a full season in 2019, but he still managed to tally 39 tackles, seven sacks, five passes defended and an interception in 13 games. Ingram’s presence is well-known for the work he does on and off the field, but it’s Bosa who gets the majority of the love. There’s a possibility that this could be Ingram’s final season with the Bolts as he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent after 2020. Ingram also has the largest salary cap hit on the roster ($16 million), which could lessen the chances of him re-signing.
CB Desmond King
The Chargers boast a strong secondary, but one player who doesn’t get as much recognition as he should is King. The former fifth-round pick from 2017 has proven himself as being one of the biggest draft steals for what he’s done since his rookie campaign. The former Iowa product has manned the slot position at a high level. For his hard work, he has been tabbed as Second-Team All-Pro (2018), snubbed from a couple of Pro Bowls and has the second-highest three-year Pro Football Focus grade on defense from the 2017 NFL Draft (90.7). His football IQ, vision, instincts and solid tackling ability are reasons why he has flourished. Heading into 2020, King likely won’t see the field as much at his natural position after the signing of Chris Harris Jr. But I expect the team to use him as an outside corner and dime linebacker.
K Michael Badgley
It wasn’t long ago when the Chargers’ games were determined by a field goal. In need of finding a consistent kicker after a carousel of them, Badgley was the guy they had been needing all along. In two seasons with the Bolts, the former Miami product has given the team no reason to look elsewhere. He has posted 28-of-32 on field goals with a long of 59 yards and is 46-of-47 on extra points. Along with being a good kicker, his character is well-liked among the players on the team.