Chargers post-draft offensive depth chart

Now that the draft has come and gone, it’s time to take a look at the how the Chargers depth chart has changed after adding 22 new players to the team. Today, we’re checking out the offensive side of the ball where the team added four new faces, including two in the trenches and two in the backfield.

Quarterback

• Justin Herbert
• Chase Daniel
• Easton Stick

Thoughts: Nothing to add here. One of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL heads the group with two solid locker room guys backing him up.

Running Back

• Austin Ekeler
• Isaiah Spiller
• Josh Kelley
• Larry Rountree
• Darius Bradwell
• Leddie Brown
• Kevin Marks Jr.

Thoughts: The Chargers finally got a notable complement in the backfield for Austin Ekeler in Isaiah Spiller. Opinions on Spiller will vary depending on what you believe the team needed in their backup, but it’s hard to argue with a complete skillset who was productive for a good team in the SEC. Both undrafted backs picked up on Saturday finished their college careers with right around 3,000 yards rushing. Brown was a back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher in both 2020 and 2021 for West Virginia. I expect a lot of competition for the team’s RB3 spot.

Fullback

• Gabe Nabers
• Zander Horvath

Thoughts: Horvath is a very interesting pickup as he’s not your father’s fullback. Like Nabers, he’ll play more of an H-back role in the NFL but Horvath has much more experience actually toting the rock. He finished his Purdue career with over 1,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving while leading the team in total offense during the 2020 campaign. Add in special teams value and could be one of the more interesting competitions in training camp this year.

Wide Receiver

WR1

• Mike Williams
• Jason Moore
• Maurice Ffrench

WR2

• Josh Palmer
• Jalen Guyton
• DeAndre Carter

Slot

• Keenan Allen
• Michael Bandy
• Joe Reed
• Trevon Bradford

Thoughts: Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley have passed on adding a deep-threat wideout to the roster so far this offseason and I highly doubt that changes prior to training camp. I’m not terribly surprised as they still return their top-four wideouts from a season where Justin Herbert threw for over 5,000 yards. As I see it, they didn’t believe adding another body would move the needle all that much. Herbert already spreads the ball around quite a bit. Unless they drafted one of the top pass-catchers in the class, they were inevitably going to be stuck behind a laundry list of players anyway.

Tight End

• Gerald Everett
• Donald Parham
• Tre’ McKitty
• Hunter Kampmoyer
• Erik Krommenhoek
• Stone Smartt

Thoughts: The offense is still missing a true “Y” tight end that can do it all, but they’re still banking on Tre’ McKitty becoming that player sooner rather than later. Everyone should be hoping and praying Parham comes back healthy because he’s still such a budding talent in this offense. Everett will be fine as the team’s primary pass-catcher at the position, but I don’t expect him to be on the field often when they need to pound the rock. Similar to last season, I also expect a healthy amount of multi-tight end sets.

Offensive Tackle

Left

• Rashawn Slater
• Foster Sarrell
• Austin Trainer

Right

• Storm Norton
• Trey Pipkins
• Jamaree Salyer(?)

Thoughts: The Chargers passed entirely on a true right tackle to drafted a pair of left tackles who are transitioning to the interior in the NFL. Slater is a bonafide star on the left side, but the right side job is about as wide open as it gets. Will it be a new-and-improved Pipkins? Will Norton bounce back from a horrendous season finale? Could Salyer end up impressing enough to earn a shot at the job despite what Staley and Telesco have said? We’ll unfortunately have to wait and see.

Offensive Guard

Left

• Matt Feiler
• Brenden Jaimes
• Ryan Hunter

Right

• Zion Johnson
• Jamaree Salyer(?)

Thoughts: The Bolts double-dipped into the offensive guard pool by drafting Johnson in the first round followed by snagging Jamaree Salyer after a surprising slide into day three. From the jump, Johnson is expected to immediately start at right guard while Salyer is expected to work as the team’s sixth lineman with the versatility to play both guard spots and even kick out to tackle in a pinch. Selecting Salyer also puts another road block in the way for Jaimes to find notable snaps on offense.

Center

• Corey Linsley
• Will Clapp
• Isaac Weaver

Thoughts: Like quarterback, this position is set and stone and there’s not much to say about it. Linsley is one of the best in the business and his back up is a former Saints lineman with experience playing for offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.