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The Chargers enter mandatory minicamp this week, which will give us the first look at how Jim Harbaugh and his staff see LA's roster entering the 2025 season.
With that in mind, let's rank Los Angeles' positional units from best to worst as the offseason program kicks into full gear.
Quarterback
Every team flows through its quarterback, and the Chargers have one of the best in the league with Justin Herbert at the helm. Taylor Heinicke is a good backup, even though Los Angeles hopes he'll never have to play. Trey Lance is a flier on the talent that got him selected in the first round and gives the Chargers a bit more of a dual-threat look on scout team.
Special Teams
Kicker Cameron Dicker and long snapper Josh Harris are among the league's best and have been for a few years. Punter JK Scott is about league-average and has stretches of phenomenal performance, but struggles slightly to truly flip the field. For a Chargers offense that hopes none of their drives stall out deep in their territory, that's not the worst problem to have.
Safety
Derwin James was just named an All-Pro last season, and Elijah Molden signed a hefty contract extension this offseason to return to the Chargers. Alohi Gilman is a solid starter on the back end, with James and Molden roaming the field a bit more. Depth is a slight concern here - James and Gilman have missed a handful of games in their careers, and Molden is coming back from a broken leg and torn meniscus he suffered late last season.
Edge Rusher
Joey Bosa will don a different uniform for the first time in almost a decade this season, which leaves the Chargers with Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu as the starters. Mack is still a high-end pass rusher, but he's starting to lose a step as minor injuries catch up with him throughout a decade-long career. Tuipulotu has yet to take the jump to stardom, but has been a solid player for Los Angeles for his first two seasons. Add in Bud Dupree, just extended to a one-year deal through 2026, and fourth-rounder Kyle Kennard, and the Chargers have a good stable of pass rushers ready to get after the quarterback.
Linebacker
Daiyan Henley broke out in a big way last season and is quickly becoming one of the best linebackers in the league, especially in coverage. Veteran Denzel Perryman is the team's best run defender and solidifies an otherwise very young unit. Second-year player Junior Colson is expected to take a step forward with a clean bill of health, which could make this one of the best units in the league.
Running Back
Najee Harris is a solid workhorse back who has never missed an NFL game, and his stabilizing presence in the backfield next to Herbert should help the Chargers keep the offense on schedule. First-rounder Omarion Hampton will get plenty of chances, too, which could give LA a true 1-2 punch that they were missing last season. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman has also had praise for second-year receiving back Kimani Vidal this offseason.
Wide Receiver
Ladd McConkey looks like a star in the making, but the biggest question is who will emerge alongside him in this Chargers corps. Mike Williams is back and has another year of recovery behind him after his ACL tear, but he's no longer the player he once was for LA. Quentin Johnston still has the coaches' optimism in his corner and took a step forward last season, but has yet to live up to his first-round billing. The Chargers also added second-rounder Tre Harris and fifth-rounder KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal said are both still getting into NFL shape. Harris is the wild card here - if he develops quickly, the Chargers may end up with a strong group at the position sooner than later.
Cornerback
The biggest question here is whether or not sophomores Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still can execute at the level they did as rookies. Both fifth-rounders a year ago, Hart held down a boundary spot while Still manned the slot and bounced to the outside when necessary, garnering a vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Hart is now recovering from shoulder surgery in January and is expected back soon. On the other hand, the Chargers added veteran Donte Jackson, a reliable starter who replaces Kristian Fulton, who departed for Kansas City.
Offensive Line
Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are a phenomenal duo at offensive tackle and the addition of Mekhi Becton at right guard should go a long way, but the rest of the interior is what drags this ranking down. The Chargers have Trey Pipkins, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, and Andre James all battling for the last two starting spots after Pipkins, Johnson, and Bozeman combined to comprise one of the worst interior offensive lines in the league. There are still many question marks surrounding Johnson potentially moving to center and Bozeman competing at guard, which leaves too much uncertainty to settle to be confident that the unit as a whole will be markedly improved.
Tight End
The Chargers did some remodeling at tight end this offseason, replacing Hayden Hurst and Stone Smartt with Tyler Conklin and fifth-rounder Oronde Gadsden II. Conklin should take the bulk of the receiving duties from Will Dissly, who was forced into more of a pass-catching role when Hurst was injured. Both are functional blockers who will help out in the run game. Gadsden is built more like Smartt as essentially a big wide receiver and will likely chip in as a pass-catcher while he develops his blocking. The unit still lacks a star, but it's in a better place than last season.
Defensive Tackle
There's a lot of potential in this room, but not a ton of proven production. Poona Ford moved across town to join the Rams after a stellar season with the Chargers in 2024 and Morgan Fox is now in Atlanta, which leaves LA with Teair Tart, Otito Ogbonnia, and Justin Eboigbe as the lone returners on the line. The coaching staff seems high on Eboigbe, but asking him to replace Fox, who led the team in interior pressures last season, is a tall task. LA also added rotational players Da'Shawn Hand and Naquan Jones and drafted Ford replacement Jamaree Caldwell in the third round. Caldwell's development will be crucial to this unit's success.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Ranking 2025 Chargers' positional groups from best to worst
Continue reading...
With that in mind, let's rank Los Angeles' positional units from best to worst as the offseason program kicks into full gear.
Quarterback
Every team flows through its quarterback, and the Chargers have one of the best in the league with Justin Herbert at the helm. Taylor Heinicke is a good backup, even though Los Angeles hopes he'll never have to play. Trey Lance is a flier on the talent that got him selected in the first round and gives the Chargers a bit more of a dual-threat look on scout team.
Special Teams
Kicker Cameron Dicker and long snapper Josh Harris are among the league's best and have been for a few years. Punter JK Scott is about league-average and has stretches of phenomenal performance, but struggles slightly to truly flip the field. For a Chargers offense that hopes none of their drives stall out deep in their territory, that's not the worst problem to have.
Safety
Derwin James was just named an All-Pro last season, and Elijah Molden signed a hefty contract extension this offseason to return to the Chargers. Alohi Gilman is a solid starter on the back end, with James and Molden roaming the field a bit more. Depth is a slight concern here - James and Gilman have missed a handful of games in their careers, and Molden is coming back from a broken leg and torn meniscus he suffered late last season.
Edge Rusher
Joey Bosa will don a different uniform for the first time in almost a decade this season, which leaves the Chargers with Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu as the starters. Mack is still a high-end pass rusher, but he's starting to lose a step as minor injuries catch up with him throughout a decade-long career. Tuipulotu has yet to take the jump to stardom, but has been a solid player for Los Angeles for his first two seasons. Add in Bud Dupree, just extended to a one-year deal through 2026, and fourth-rounder Kyle Kennard, and the Chargers have a good stable of pass rushers ready to get after the quarterback.
Linebacker
Daiyan Henley broke out in a big way last season and is quickly becoming one of the best linebackers in the league, especially in coverage. Veteran Denzel Perryman is the team's best run defender and solidifies an otherwise very young unit. Second-year player Junior Colson is expected to take a step forward with a clean bill of health, which could make this one of the best units in the league.
Running Back
Najee Harris is a solid workhorse back who has never missed an NFL game, and his stabilizing presence in the backfield next to Herbert should help the Chargers keep the offense on schedule. First-rounder Omarion Hampton will get plenty of chances, too, which could give LA a true 1-2 punch that they were missing last season. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman has also had praise for second-year receiving back Kimani Vidal this offseason.
Wide Receiver
Ladd McConkey looks like a star in the making, but the biggest question is who will emerge alongside him in this Chargers corps. Mike Williams is back and has another year of recovery behind him after his ACL tear, but he's no longer the player he once was for LA. Quentin Johnston still has the coaches' optimism in his corner and took a step forward last season, but has yet to live up to his first-round billing. The Chargers also added second-rounder Tre Harris and fifth-rounder KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal said are both still getting into NFL shape. Harris is the wild card here - if he develops quickly, the Chargers may end up with a strong group at the position sooner than later.
Cornerback
The biggest question here is whether or not sophomores Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still can execute at the level they did as rookies. Both fifth-rounders a year ago, Hart held down a boundary spot while Still manned the slot and bounced to the outside when necessary, garnering a vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Hart is now recovering from shoulder surgery in January and is expected back soon. On the other hand, the Chargers added veteran Donte Jackson, a reliable starter who replaces Kristian Fulton, who departed for Kansas City.
Offensive Line
Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are a phenomenal duo at offensive tackle and the addition of Mekhi Becton at right guard should go a long way, but the rest of the interior is what drags this ranking down. The Chargers have Trey Pipkins, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, and Andre James all battling for the last two starting spots after Pipkins, Johnson, and Bozeman combined to comprise one of the worst interior offensive lines in the league. There are still many question marks surrounding Johnson potentially moving to center and Bozeman competing at guard, which leaves too much uncertainty to settle to be confident that the unit as a whole will be markedly improved.
Tight End
The Chargers did some remodeling at tight end this offseason, replacing Hayden Hurst and Stone Smartt with Tyler Conklin and fifth-rounder Oronde Gadsden II. Conklin should take the bulk of the receiving duties from Will Dissly, who was forced into more of a pass-catching role when Hurst was injured. Both are functional blockers who will help out in the run game. Gadsden is built more like Smartt as essentially a big wide receiver and will likely chip in as a pass-catcher while he develops his blocking. The unit still lacks a star, but it's in a better place than last season.
Defensive Tackle
There's a lot of potential in this room, but not a ton of proven production. Poona Ford moved across town to join the Rams after a stellar season with the Chargers in 2024 and Morgan Fox is now in Atlanta, which leaves LA with Teair Tart, Otito Ogbonnia, and Justin Eboigbe as the lone returners on the line. The coaching staff seems high on Eboigbe, but asking him to replace Fox, who led the team in interior pressures last season, is a tall task. LA also added rotational players Da'Shawn Hand and Naquan Jones and drafted Ford replacement Jamaree Caldwell in the third round. Caldwell's development will be crucial to this unit's success.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Ranking 2025 Chargers' positional groups from best to worst
Continue reading...
