Evaluating Los Angeles Chargers rookies after first week of 2023 NFL preseason.
The preseason is meant to evaluate players, and for a handful of them, this past week marked their first time playing in an NFL game, including the Chargers with their seven draft picks in their win over the Rams on Saturday.
Los Angeles was headlined by first-round pick wide receiver Quentin Johnston, who had an uneven performance. He was targeted early but couldn’t hang onto two passes, including one deep down the right sideline. Johnston was knocked in the draft process for his hands, which is clearly still a work in progress. But right before the half, Johnston came back in the game and hauled in a pass for an 8-yard touchdown, beating Rams defensive back Richard LeCounte from the slot with a smooth route.
“It was alright,” Johnston said about his debut. “Not the best start, it was kind of rough but I bounced back with it at the end with the touchdown.
“At the end of the day, I’m not satisfied,” Johnston added. “Hopefully I’ll come back next week and do better.”
Edge defender Tuli Tuipulotu brought some pressure early on the Rams’ first drive. Tuipulotu displayed high effort, acceleration and closing speed to cover ground and bring down quarterback Brett Rypien, who barely managed to get the pass off. Tuipulotu also looked good at defending the run, setting some firm edges.
Linebacker Daiyan Henley made some key plays on defense and special teams. Henley, the former defensive back and wide receiver, recorded a pass deflection and was always around the football against the run. He wore the green dot and called the plays in the second half. On Derius Davis’ 81-yard punt return touchdown, Henley made a vital block to open up a big hole for him.
Davis, the Chargers’ fourth-round pick, showed why they drafted him: to be their return specialist, with his 81-yard punt return for a score, making it look effortless with his speed and quickness. He also had two catches on two targets for 21 yards.
Jordan McFadden logged all of his snaps at left guard. McFadden was dinged for holding a couple of times, including on running back Isaiah Spiller’s 70+ yard touchdown, which negated it. Aside from that, he performed well, making some key blocks in the run game and looking comfortable out in space as a puller. In pass protection, McFadden was credited for one pressure on 21 pass-blocking snaps.
Defensive tackle Scott Matlock made his presence known with a rush where he got pressure on Stetson Bennett, showcasing his athleticism for a man of his size and up-field urgency to force him out of the pocket, leading to an incompletion. Matlock was also stout at taking on blocks at the point of attack in the run game.
Quarterback Max Duggan took over in the second half following a solid performance from Easton Stick. There wasn’t much to write home about Duggan on Saturday. He completed two of three passes for 19 yards and added a 19-yard run.
