For the past two years, the most talked-about position on the roster of the Los Angeles Chargers has been wide receiver. It’s been said thousands of times that the team needs to give Justin Herbert more to work with, and that theory rang true in the team’s Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans last season.
The Chargers were fortunate to hit on second-round pick Ladd McConkey, a player who appears to be a regular star for the team for many years to come. But Herbert needs at least one other consistent option, especially with the lack of production the tight end position provided.
The team used a second-round pick in this year’s draft on Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris and hopes are high for him. But beyond those two players, who does the team really have at wide receiver?
Former first-round pick Quentin Johnston has shown himself to be much closer to a draft bust than a future star in his first two seasons. This offseason, the team also brought back former first-round pick Mike Williams. On paper, both of these players look capable, but they have provided a mixed bag of results in their careers.
Some feel that the Chargers have a great setup at wide receiver heading into the 2025 season. Jason Reed of Bolt Beat recently stated that five spots are “completely locked up at wide receiver”. Locked up? No way.
Johnston is going to be a WR3 at best this coming season, but he’s going to have to prove as much this summer. In a recent mailbag done by Daniel Popper, Chargers beat reporter for The Athletic, he stated that Johnston is anything but a lock to make the team.
“I do not think the Chargers coaching staff will give Johnston too many chances. The 2023 first-round pick is going to have to earn his chances. That has been the case for every player since Harbaugh took over as head coach”, wrote Popper.
Williams has also done nothing to suggest he’ll be long for L.A. in his second stint, and that is part of the reason he was only given a one-year deal.
Don’t sell players like fifth-round pick KeAndre Lambert-Smith or Brenden Rice short. They are just looking for an opportunity and could easily push either Johnston or Williams off the roster.
Will Johnston and Williams make the team? Most likely, yes. But it’s way too early to call it a lock when training camp hasn’t started yet. Neither player has done anything in the league to warrant being called a roster lock.
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