Tag: Chargers wide receivers

Projecting the Chargers’ wide receiver depth chart in 2021

The Los Angeles Chargers have a lot of talent at the wide receiver position.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be breaking down the depth chart at each position for the Chargers.

Quarterback

Running Back

Next up, I project what the wide receivers room will look like heading into the 2021 season.

WR1: Keenan Allen

Still not given the respect that he deserves, Allen has proven himself as one of the league’s most efficient receivers. Allen has averaged 100 receptions and over 1,000 receiving yards over the past four seasons, with Pro Bowl appearances coming in each one of them. As long as he stays healthy, the crafty route-runner will remain as one of quarterback Justin Herbert’s go-to targets in the upcoming season.

WR2: Mike Williams

Since being selected in the first-round of the 2017 NFL draft, Williams has yet to live up to that status. While he has delivered in clutch situations as a big-play threat throughout the years, Williams has failed to surpass 50 catches, has just seven touchdowns over the past two seasons and has dealt with a injuries along the way. That could change in 2021, as Williams is expected to be an integral piece in Joe Lombardi’s offense as the ‘X’ receiver, which is the same role that was held by one of the league’s best wideouts, Saints’ Michael Thomas.

WR3: Tyron Johnson

This is where the battle begins. There are a handful of players fighting for the final spots, but basing it off of last season, Johnson is the front-runner for the job. Proven as a reliable option behind the two starters, Johnson amassed 20 receptions for 398 yards (19.9 yards per reception) and three touchdowns, with zero drops. Four of his first five receptions in the NFL went for 50 yards or more. In a way, Johnson reminds me of former Saints’ Brandin Cooks, who Lombardi spent a few seasons with. They are solid route runners, have speed to take the top off a defense and have reliable hands.

WR4: Jalen Guyton

Guyton entered the 2020 season as the third wide receiver. While he managed to put up decent production in his role, with 28 catches for 511 yards (18.3 yards per catch) and three scores, Guyton had six drops, and wasn’t quite as efficient as Johnson. While Guyton’s speed should still have some value, Johnson has the leg up on him because his hands are more superior and he’s a better route-runner.

WR5: Josh Palmer

Drafted in the third-round out of Tennessee, Palmer will be in contention for the third spot alongside Johnson and Guyton. However, since this is a projection for the first week of the season, Palmer’s inexperience in the league will start him off lower on the depth chart. Nonetheless, with his ability to separate at all levels of the field, especially vertically, Palmer could quickly receive more playing time as the year goes down, especially considering that Lombardi goes through a lot of different personnel packages.

WR6: Joe Reed

The first five receivers listed are the presumed locks to make the 53-man roster. Assuming the team rolls with six wideouts, the final spot is a battle between five players: K.J. Hill, John Hurst, Jason Moore, Austin Proehl and Reed. Reed, the team’s fifth-round pick of last year’s draft, didn’t have many opportunities on offense. Instead, he was relegated to a return specialist, but was dethroned by Nasir Adderley in that role later in the season. While he didn’t get to prove himself much, Reed’s special teams experience and versatility to work as a receiver and out of the backfield could be the selling point to Lombardi and company.

Chargers top 5 breakout season players in 2021: WR Tyron Johnson

The Los Angeles Chargers could have a breakout season from one of their wide receivers.

Every season, there are players who break out onto the scene who may not have been dominant the season before, whether they had limited snaps, dealt with an injury or just improved as a player in the offseason.

This is the first story in a five-part series counting down the top Chargers players who I believe are most likely to have a breakout season in 2021.

Coming into the 2020 season, there was the question of who would be the receivers that would establish themselves as reliable pass-catching options behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

One of those players was Johnson.

Johnson, an undrafted rookie from 2019 out of Oklahoma State, flashed in spurts throughout the year, but showed his true potential when injuries to Allen and Williams led to extended playing time.

In 12 games, Johnson amassed 20 receptions for 398 yards (19.9 yards per reception) and three touchdowns, with zero drops. Four of his first five receptions in the NFL went for 50 yards or more.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Johnson will be a part of a crowded position group that returns Jalen Guyton, who had 28 catches for 511 yards and three scores in 2020, along with the addition of Josh Palmer, the team’s third-round selection.

While it may seem like it will be a battle for him to get more playing time than he did last year, Palmer’s skillset coupled with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi philosophy of enforcing different personnel packages depending on the defenses they’re facing, could lead to high production.

Therefore, if the team wants speed and reliable hands, Johnson is their guy.

The bottom line is that Johnson has the opportunity to become one of quarterback Justin Herbert’s go-to targets because of how well he does in the intermediate and deep parts of the field, which is where the signal-caller is pinpoint-precise.

Is Chargers’ K.J. Hill primed to win third wide receiver spot?

The skillset and mature makeup will help the former Ohio State product.

We are weeks away until training camp, where a handful of positional battles will unfold. Among the crop that will draw a lot of attention is the clash for the third wide receiver spot behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

The Chargers have a few that will be in contention for this job, which include Andre Patton, Darius Jennings, Jalen Moore and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

However, a handful of analysts have tabbed Hill, the team’s seventh-round selection, as the front runner to win the No. 3 spot. Pro Football Focus’ Ben Lindsey is the latest to buy into the narrative.

Hill projects exclusively as a slot receiver after running over 90% of his routes from the slot in all four of his seasons with the Buckeyes. That’s an area where Allen already spends a fair bit of his time (52% of his routes in 2019), but Hill should be the team’s third-best wide receiver in 2020. The veteran options aren’t enticing, and Reed is still a project, particularly as a route-runner. Hill’s underneath route running and reliable hands are made for the slot, and I expect him to win that job.

There are two things that Hill is exceptional at: route-running and catching the football.

These are both required to excel at the NFL level, and Hill demonstrated them at a high level at Ohio State in his four years, which resulted in him becoming the school’s all-time reception leader (201).

His lack of speed and reps outside limits him to slot-only duties, which is where Keenan Allen plays. However, Allen has experience on the outside, which would allow Hill to be on the field at the same time.

Hill’s ability to win underneath would give Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert, who both do well connecting on shorter routes, a solid option.

Winning the job won’t be a gimme for Hill heading into training camp, but the former Buckeye’s skillset and mature makeup gives him the advantage.

Chargers sitting pretty in PFF’s wide receiver rankings

The Los Angeles Chargers present a strong wide receiver group.

Despite lacking a productive WR3 in 2019, the Chargers still managed to boast one of the league’s finest dynamic duos that consisted of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Allen posted a career-high in receptions (104) that went for 1,199 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Williams surpassed the 1,000-receiving yard mark, as well as a league-high 20.4 yards per catch.

Los Angeles knew that they were missing pieces to compliment the tandem, which is why they drafted Joe Reed and K.J. Hill to shore up the positional group.

Heading into the 2020, Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey sees the unit as being stout, ranking them No. 7 overall among the rest of the 32 teams in the league.

Here is what Linsey had to say about the state of the wide receivers:

There are questions at the quarterback position for the Chargers; there are questions about the left side of the offensive line, as well. Where there shouldn’t be too many questions, though, is at the skill positions on offense. Keenan Allen is one of the best route-runners in the NFL and is the fourth-highest-graded wide receiver in the league over the last three seasons. Mike Williams is an effective downfield threat, averaging over 20 yards per reception in 2019 on his way to the first 1,000-yard season of his career. Outside of Hunter Henry and Austin Ekeler, both of whom are among the top receiving options at their respective positions, one player who could surprise in 2019 is K.J. Hill. He has an NFL-ready skill set for the slot, and Andre Patton was a complete non-factor in that role for the Chargers last season (56 receiving yards on 303 routes run).

Wide receiver will be one of the top positional battles to watch in training camp and preseason. While Allen and Williams man the top-two spots, the competition for the final three or four spots is bound to be heated.

Reed, the fifth-round pick, brings versatility. Hill, the seventh-round pick, brings route-running ability and secure hands. Andre Patton has shown flashes and has two seasons under his belt. Darius Jennings’ special teams experience will help his case.

Recently, I took a crack at projecting the wide receiver group. That can be found here.

Regardless of how the quarterback play shakes up between Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert, they should benefit from the slew of wide receivers, as well as running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Hunter Henry.

Chargers TE Hunter Henry lights out since returning from injury

Hunter Henry is making his case to get a nice paycheck after the season.

It’s like he never lost a step.

Since returning from a knee injury that sidelined him on the season-opener for four weeks, tight end Hunter Henry has been remarkable. Henry has caught 39 passes for 487 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 12.5 yards per reception and has caught 72.2% of his targets.

With the injuries that hit the wide receiver position within the time he was out, it only allowed for his opportunities to increase. That has been the case and it has been evident that Henry has been quarterback Philip Rivers’ main man, as he’s received nearly eight targets per game since his return.

Henry has either racked up 80+ yards or a touchdown in four of his six games back to the lineup.

Like former Chargers great Antonio Gates once was as Rivers’ go-to guy, Henry appears to have filled the shoes in the former Arkansas product’s first season as the featured tight end.

Henry, 24, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Los Angeles will have a slew of players that they will have to re-sign and he is atop of the list. Even though staying healthy has been an issue throughout his professional career, he is easily one of the league’s best tight ends and the production is there to back it up.

[lawrence-related id=30872,30856,30851,30838]