EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – The Los Angeles Chargers training camp is all about nice new things. They are practicing at their brand-new facility under the new direction of head coach Jim Harbaugh while having a new approach to training, with Ben Herbert taking over as director of player performance.
The Chargers decided to move on from many of their old things this offseason, with several of those moves involving their star wide receivers, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Allen is now with the Chicago Bears after eleven seasons with the team, and Williams is off to the New York Jets after seven years with the organization.
Joshua Palmer and DJ Chark are now the veterans in the wide receiver room. Both are fine players who have proven they are worthy NFL pass catchers, but neither has the ceiling to be a true number-one option. Even at their best, these are not guys that will ever demand extra attention from a defense.
It will be up to the pair of 22-year-olds, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, to fill the void left by Allen and Williams. Johnston was the Chargers’ first-round selection in 2023, and McConkey was the 34th overall pick in this year’s draft. Interestingly enough, they fit the mold of the two players they are replacing.
Johnston is a big (6’3″), fast (sub-4.5 40-yard dash), and athletic specimen on the football field. He struggled with drops as a rookie, but early on in camp, he looks to be locked in and putting that issue in the rearview mirror. Johnston is a big play threat who averaged 19 yards per reception at TCU and can become a gamebreaker for Los Angeles if he puts it all together.
“Q has done such a great job this year, and he did a great job last year. It is tough being a rookie in this league, and I thought he handled it really well. He has come back this year with great effort and a great attitude. He is a great guy to be around, and he is a great locker-room guy. We are expecting big things from him this year,” said Justin Herbert.
His attributes certainly remind a lot of Mike Williams, and he could easily develop into a similar type of player. Williams himself struggled in his rookie season, catching only 11 passes for 95 yards and zero touchdowns. Johnston put together 38 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns in his first year of action.
“I am coming off a full offseason, a season where I can look back and kind of be like, okay, I have a feel of how so and so plays, how I should react in certain situations, and overall, I just got a feel of NFL ball,” said Johnston.
McConkey is a jitterbug in the slot. He might be the best route runner coming out of the draft and has the speed and hands to match. He made defensive backs look silly in college and has been doing more of the same so far during training camp. He can routinely create separation and has the trust of Herbert. Sound a little like Keenan Allen?
“He has been off to a really, really good start. He is a really excellent route runner—we knew that. He has been really dialed in right from the beginning. Just how quickly he gets up to full speed. I don’t know how many steps it is, but it is pretty fast. It is a pretty quick three, five, six steps, and he is up to full speed,” said Harbaugh.
On day four of camp, during the 11-on-11 portion of practice, McConkey scored touchdowns on the starting offenses’ first two drives. He already looks like Herbert’s safety valve, going to him for some short gains, but the most impressive play came on a scramble drill.
Herbert was feeling pressure from the defense, backpedaled, and threw the ball downfield to the back of the endzone. McConkey came down with it, got both feet in bounds, and made it look like the two had been executing that play for years.
Obviously, it is very early in both of their careers, and no one is asking them to put up similar numbers to Herbert’s former favorite targets this season, but there is no reason that they could not develop into similar players.
Palmer and Chark might get a decent amount of looks early in the year, but the two young wide receivers should start to be heavily involved as they get more comfortable in the NFL.
“Obviously, with those great players gone, Keenan and Mike, I am very fortunate to have had at least a year under those guys. I took a lot of stuff that they do, the way they approach practice and meetings, and I kind of added that to myself, which just makes me that much more confident coming into this year,” said Johnston.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.