After releasing Mike Williams and trading Keenan Allen, the Los Angeles Chargers appear to be turning the page at wide receiver. Who are some of the best WR options for them in the 2024 NFL Draft, and who’s the best fit in Round 1?
WR Options for the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 NFL Draft
As of this writing, there’s still a chance that Williams returns to the Chargers on a discounted salary. But right now, disappointing 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston and journeyman Joshua Palmer are the only wide receivers in the Chargers’ position room.
Almost overnight, WR has vaulted to the top of the Chargers’ team needs, but how should they address it in the 2024 NFL Draft? Here are some of the top options and potential fits for Jim Harbaugh, at varying ranges.
Rome Odunze, Washington
Rome Odunze is the best option for the Chargers in the 2024 NFL Draft. Los Angeles could try and land him while also trading back into the teens, but standing pat and taking Odunze at No. 5 overall is very much worth the upside that he provides.
In 2023, Odunze was a Biletnikoff Award finalist, after catching 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns. At times, his game is in fact reminiscent of Allen’s, due to his size-adjusted fluidity and redirection freedom as a route runner at 6’3″, 212 pounds.
That said, at his size, Odunze has even more speed and burst than Allen ever did at his peak. Odunze’s body control and focus at the catch point is also one of his calling cards.
Any way you slice it, Odunze can be an elite WR1 with his size, separation ability, RAC agility, and contested catch chops. And he could take on that role instantly in LA.
Malik Nabers, LSU
Odunze might be a better one-to-one replacement for Allen for LA, but Malik Nabers is also worthy of consideration early in Round 1.
Nabers offers a contrasting skill set to Odunze. While Odunze is the size-speed phenom with boundary authority and gravity as a presence, Nabers is the elite three-level weapon who has dangerous upside with his usage on the lateral and vertical planes.
Nabers, who caught 89 passes for 1,569 yards and 14 TDs in 2023, isn’t quite as refined as Odunze in the route-running phase, but he still has great stem IQ as a vertical WR. And in the short range, he’s a devastating RAC threat with twitch, agility, burst, and contact balance.
Roman Wilson, Michigan
The Michigan connection makes Roman Wilson an obvious contender to join the Chargers on Day 2. But his two-phase utility and upside as a complete weapon sweetens the pot even more.
On film at Michigan, Wilson’s willingness to get his nose dirty and block is clear. And while he’s a bit undersized at 5’11”, 185 pounds, he bears similarity to Saints WR Chris Olave with his speed and his searing flexibility carving through intermediate zones.
Add in Wilson’s ability to work above the rim, and he’d be a great match for Herbert early on in his career.
Ricky Pearsall, Florida
In a similar mold to Wilson, Ricky Pearsall would give the Chargers a smooth, nuanced separator with vertical ability, strong hands, usage versatility, and willingness as a blocker.
Wilson grades a bit higher on my board, largely due to his functional athleticism on film. Pearsall ran a 4.41 40-yard dash and jumped 42″ in the vertical, but he doesn’t always play to those numbers when working vertically.
Nevertheless, Pearsall assuredly has that kind of space-creating speed and burst, and his vast route tree and rock-solid hands will allow him to be a target funnel on Day 1.
Xavier Legette, South Carolina
On Day 2, if you’re looking for a size-speed phenom with the speed to work vertically, the size and physicality to be an RAC threat and blocking presence, as well as the stopping ability and stride freedom to grow as a route runner, Xavier Legette fits the bill.
Legette, who caught 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven scores in a breakout 2023 campaign, still needs to be more consistent with his separation and hand technique. But at 6’1″, 221 pounds, with 4.39 speed, he’s an explosive presence who can be used on multiple planes.
Cornelius Johnson, Michigan
Ideally, the Chargers will have their first WR pick made well before Day 3. But no matter who they take in the early rounds, they could stand to use a Day 3 pick to improve the unit’s depth as well.
There are several Day 3 options to note, but the most logical one — both for his fit and his pre-existing connection with Harbaugh — is Michigan’s Cornelius Johnson.
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Johnson, who notched career-highs in both catches (47) and yards (603) in 2023, has great size and athleticism at 6’3″, 212 pounds, with 4.45 speed, and he’s quietly a sharp route runner, with the blocking ability to hold value in the running game.
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