No one expected the Chargers to take a running back as early as they did when other positions like offensive tackle, wide receiver or cornerback had yet to be addressed.
Even though Melvin Gordon and the franchise parted ways, it was thought that they would be able to get away with Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and potentially a late rounder or undrafted free agent to fill the void.
But when Los Angeles saw former UCLA RB Joshua Kelley sitting on the board in the fourth-round with the No. 112 overall selection, they couldn’t pass up on the opportunity.
Kelley joins Ekeler and Jackson as part of the backfield committee. While it may seem like the rookie will be the odd man out, he’s actually in one of the better situations among the rest of the first-year backs.
Pro Football Focus ranked the situations for the league’s 2020 rookie running backs, and Kelley was listed as being in the ninth-best circumstances:
Kelley offers a distinctly different body type and skillset from starter Austin Ekeler. Even with Melvin Gordon out the first four weeks of last season, Ekeler commanded only 14 carries per game while backup Justin Jackson saw five-plus carries in each of those outings when healthy. The issue here could be simply taking carries away from Jackson, who earned a 78.1 rushing grade on 50 carries in 2018 before an 89.5 rushing grade on 29 carries in an injury-shortened 2019.
Kelley has the chance to receive the majority of the carries. Even though Ekeler sits atop of the depth chart, the team wants to utilize his versatility to line up all over the formation. As for Jackson, who’s coming off a season that was hampered by an injury, durability concerns loom.
I mentioned before that Kelley continues to only being seen as just a short-yardage specialist by many, but I believe he’s going to be used more than that over time.
While Kelley has the power to run through defenders, which would come in handy in those situations, he also has good change-of-direction, vision, burst, decent speed and passing game ability to make an impact on any down.
Kelley showed that he is capable of taking on a big load for the Bruins in 2018 and 2019, receiving 225 and 229 touches, respectively, making the most with them by posting 1,000-plus rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in both seasons.
For someone that has that type of production and was taken that high over other positions of need, they’re certainly seen as more than just a bruiser who receives 5-10 carries per game.
I expect the Chargers to have a committee approach for their backfield early on in the season. But don’t be surprised if it’s Kelley that receives the bulk of the carries down the road, especially if Jackson is unable to stay healthy.