The Chargers certainly have promise within their young core, but only time will tell if they can step up under Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers have been pretty synonymous with bright young talent over most of the last decade. They hit on guys like Joey Bosa, Derwin James, and Justin Herbert who all went on to be very impactful players during their first years with the team. Hit after hit, the Chargers, at times, always had a handful of talent under the age of 25. However, the last few seasons have derailed that theme.
Since 2022, the Chargers drafted Zion Johnston, Quentin Johnston, and now tackle Joe Alt in the first round. In the second round since 2021, they’ve added Tuli Tuipulotu and Ladd McConkey. The former has already shown to be a real good player and the latter is expected to thrive immediately with how well his relationship with Herbert has seemed to flourish through OTAs and minicamp.
Those are bad picks, but they aren’t up to par with what they had from 2017-2021. Somehow, the second-round picks are already outshining the first-rounders without one of them having seen the field yet.
Last year, the Chargers were ranked 11th in the NFL when it came to talent under the age of 25, so it makes since they went down in this year’s rankings after Slater crossed over the age threshold. Here’s what author Aaron Schatz had to say about ranking the Bolts at No. 15 in this year’s list:
Blue-chip players: EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, G Zion Johnson, OT Joe Alt, WR Quentin Johnston
Notable graduated players: OT Rashawn Slater
“The Chargers may be surprisingly low when you see that they have four “blue-chip” players, but both Johnson and Johnston narrowly qualified,” says Schatz. “ The Chargers have a good amount of young talent, but they’re missing that one no-doubt young star.”
“But again, there’s a lot here, especially on offense. The offensive line features Johnson (24) at left guard, Jamaree Salyer (24) at right guard and rookie first-round pick Alt (21) at right tackle. The Chargers’ top three wide receivers are also all under 25. Johnston (22) struggled in his rookie season — he had 431 yards and was tied for 92nd in the ESPN receiver tracking metrics — but he still has first-round traits, so we can’t give up on him yet. Fellow outside receiver Joshua Palmer doesn’t turn 25 until late September, while rookie slot receiver Ladd McConkey, 22, is looking to play a big role in 2024.”
“On defense, edge rusher Tuipulotu, a second-round pick last year, turns 22 in September, while top cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. is 24.”
I think the Chargers’ young players have as much “promise” as most teams in the NFL. Analysts and pundits across the media landscape are usually kind with their words and expectations of the team and their young core but it sure has seemed like the previous regimes weren’t doing them any favors.
Just like the Packers last season, the Chargers have a chance to surprise with one of the youngest wide receiver corps in the league. I personally would have thought Josh Palmer was at least 25 going into this season, but he’s the seasoned veteran at just 24. McConkey and Johnston are just 22 to round out their top three. That’s pretty good when building for the future, but youth doesn’t always equate to success.
The cornerback room is also one area of the roster that got much younger this offseason. Samuel is 24 with Kristian Fulton, Cam Hart, and Tarheeb Still joining the group at 25, 23, and 22 years old, respectively. This will a group that may end up having to learn by failing time and time again. There’s no brand-name player here and that’s a tough task for a secondary to find success without a bonafide number one to lean on. Samuel is trying his best to be that guy, but only time will tell if he’s better off in Jesse Minter’s system as opposed to Brandon Staley’s.
So what do you all think? Did Schatz evaluate the team’s young talent correctly? Did he leave anyone out that you would have personally included? Let me know all of your thoughts below!
You must be logged in to post a comment Login