The Los Angeles Chargers‘ 53-man roster is arguably the best in the NFL on paper. The offense finished fifth in the league in offensive EPA per play during the 2021 regular season — accomplishing this despite fans and analysts loathing what they sometimes saw from Joe Lombardi’s offense.
Los Angeles Chargers 53-man roster projection
The Chargers spent the offseason pushing all their chips into the center of the table on Justin Herbert’s rookie deal. The front office is doing everything in their power to maximize the talent on the roster before spending a massive chunk of their cap space on their young star.
Starters will be annotated with an asterisk.
Los Angeles Chargers offense (24)
Quarterback:
Justin Herbert*
Chase Daniel
Easton Stick
Running back:
Austin Ekeler*
Isaiah Spiller
Joshua Kelly
Fullback:
Zander Horvath
Wide receiver:
Keenan Allen*
Mike Williams*
Josh Palmer*
Jalen Guyton
DeAndre Carter
Tight end:
Gerald Everett*
Donald Parham Jr.
Tre’ McKitty
Offensive tackle:
Rashawn Slater*
Trey Pipkins III*
Storm Norton
Offensive guard:
Matt Feiler*
Zion Johnson*
Jamaree Salyer
Brenden Jaimes
Center:
Corey Linsley*
Will Clapp
Los Angeles Chargers defense (26)
Defensive end:
Morgan Fox*
Jerry Tillery
Defensive tackle:
Sebastian Joseph-Day*
Austin Johnson
Christian Covington
Otito Ogbonnia
Inside linebacker:
Drue Tranquill*
Kyle Van Noy*
Kenneth Murray
Troy Reeder
Nick Niemann
Outside linebackers:
Joey Bosa*
Khalil Mack*
Chris Rumph II
Emeke Egbule
Cornerback:
J.C. Jackson*
Asante Samuel Jr.*
Michael Davis*
Bryce Callahan
Tevaughn Campbell
Deane Leonard
Safety:
Derwin James*
Nasir Adderley*
Alohi Gilman
J.T. Woods
Mark Webb Jr.
Los Angeles Chargers specialists (3)
Dustin Hopkins (K)
J.K. Scott (P)
Josh Harris (LS)
It was the Charger’s defense that let the team down. But they’ve made huge improvements to the defensive depth chart, particularly on the interior of the defensive line. Adding Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, and Otito Ogbonnia was a great step toward improving their fortunes.
But adding elite talents in J.C. Jackson and Khalil Mack was the icing on the cake. Keeping Asante Samuel Jr. healthy will be a big bump to the defense as well, and safety Derwin James is one of the most talented players in the NFL.
Expectations are incredibly high for the Chargers, as they should be. Can they finally meet the expectations we set for them during the offseason?