For years the Chargers have been a team with little young, developing talent at any point. This year, Joe Hortiz and the new front office are beginning a youth movement as they phase out big contracts. This movement started with the departure of Keenan Allen & Mike Williams and will continue when they make their decision regarding Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack next offseason. While getting rid of their big-name, big-contract guys, they are attempting to bring in young guys to develop into those same roles while being paid less. Although they are at the start of this retooling, some players can still show what they’re made of as early as this season.
Alohi Gilman
Alohi Gilman is a favorite among Chargers fans, and for good reason. The Free Safety showed last year what he is capable of, and he was a big part of the Los Angeles Defense. Now, he heads into a season where he is an alternate captain and is viewed as a cemented starter on this roster. With expectations on him and beginning the season as a big piece on the defense, Gilman is put in a great place to perform better than he ever has. With Jesse Minter as his Defensive Coordinator, Gilman will surely be put in the best position possible to succeed.
Joshua Palmer
Wide Receiver is far and away the most polarizing position group for the Chargers this year, with many going as far as to say the position will hold them back from being competitive. However, Josh Palmer can turn a weakness into a strength. With the amount of time spent at WR1 while behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, he already has a lot of reps as the main option. Palmer’s numbers also looked good when being Herbert’s top receiver, going for over 750 yards in the 2022 season. If given the majority of the Chargers’ targets for the entirety of a season., a 1,000-yard season could be more likely than not.
Tuli Tuipulotu
While some may argue that Tuli Tuipulotu broke out in the 2023 season, it’s important to note that the second-year Edge Rusher can still make huge improvements this year. With the previously mentioned Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack not under contract past this season, the staff may want to play Tuli in increased amounts to see exactly what he can do going into the future. Adding in Bosa’s long injury history, Tuli may get more snaps than expected with the starters. With his talent, more reps are all he needs to prove himself as a legitimate star at his position.
Ladd Mcconkey
Many people who are low on the Chargers offense forget that they took Ladd McConkey out of Georgia in the second round. McConkey has higher potential than any other receiver on the roster and because of that, he may be given more reps than most other wideouts on the team. While Ladd isn’t better than Josh Palmer or DJ Chark, he will certainly get to that point if given the opportunity. If Ladd can perform how he is expected to, he could take the WR1 spot from Palmer by the end of the season.
Junior Colson
While currently the MLB3 on the Chargers depth chart, third-round pick Junior Colson has a firm place on this Chargers team. A staple of the Michigan Wolverines defense last season, Colson is the only player on this roster playing under the same Head Coach and coordinator did last season. That means the trust he built with Jesse Minter and Jim Harbaugh will carry over into this season and he can get more reps and opportunities to compete for a starting spot. If he can make it onto the field, there is no telling what name he can build for himself.
