The Chargers’ tight end position hasn’t been touted as one of the stronger units in years prior. Instead, it has been Hunter Henry that has done the bulk of the workload.
Regardless, Pro Football Focus‘ Steve Palazzolo believes that Los Angeles has one of the better tight ends rooms in the league, being tabbed No. 9 overall out of 32 teams.
Henry, the one-man wrecking machine, received high praise from Palazzolo.
“Henry posted an 85.7 receiving grade as a rookie in 2016, an 86.7 mark in his second season and then played just 14 snaps in 2018,” Palazzolo said. “He was then limited again last year, playing just 12 games.
Henry still graded at 73.2 overall, good for 14th in the league. He wins at all levels of the field and quarterbacks have a passer rating of 132.3 when targeting him, which is more than 10 points better than any tight end in the league since 2016.”
Los Angeles recently tagged Henry, keeping him around for at least one more year. A key focal point in the team’s passing attack, Henry caught a career-high 55 passes for 652 yards and five touchdowns in just 12 games last season.
If he can stay healthy, a monstrous season could be on the horizon, which could then earn him a long-term extension after the season.
Behind Henry on the depth chart is Virgil Green, Donald Parham and Stephen Anderson.
Here is what Palazzolo had to say about the trio:
The backup is Virgil Green, a run-blocking specialist who takes on the more difficult, in-line blocking assignments. Green is not much of a threat in the passing game — he’s never caught more than 22 passes in a season — but he’s performed his backup role well during his nine years in the league.
The rest of the depth chart includes Stephen Anderson, more of a “move,” H-back type, and 6-foot-8 Donald Parham, a third-year project out of Stetson College. The Chargers need a full year of Henry to maximize their pass-game potential, and if he stays healthy, they’ll have one of the more productive tight end units in the league.
Here’s how I believe the depth chart at the position will shake up.