As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Los Angeles Chargers.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Chargers pick in the NFL Draft?
The Los Angeles Chargers selected Quentin Johnston (WR, TCU) with the 21st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Chargers added Tuli Tuipulotu (EDGE, USC) with the 54th pick.
Los Angeles selected Daiyan Henley (LB, Washington State) with the 85th pick.
Chargers Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Wide Receiver
- Defensive Line
- Running Back
What Picks do the Los Angeles Chargers have in 2023?
The Los Angeles Chargers have seven picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (21)
- Round 2 (54)
- Round 3 (85)
- Round 4 (125)
- Round 5 (156)
- Round 6 (200)
- Round 7 (239)
Los Angeles Chargers Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Chargers Sharp Draft Value Rank: 23 of 32 teams
- Chargers AV Model Draft Value Rank: 20 of 32 teams
- Chargers OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 23 of 32 teams
Los Angeles Chargers Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Chargers' draft value is 15% lower than the league average of all 32 teams. 22 other teams have higher draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Los Angeles Chargers Draft Prediction:
The Chargers are predicted to draft Jordan Addison (WR, USC) with their 1st round pick (#21 overall) according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, has the Chargers predicted to draft Myles Murphy (EDGE, Clemson) with their 1st round pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Los Angeles Chargers Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Los Angeles Chargers have the seventh hardest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Los Angeles Chargers Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Los Angeles Chargers, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Los Angeles Chargers Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Chargers:
- Justin Herbert
- Easton Stick
The Chargers have Justin Herbert entering the final season of his rookie contract.
With Herbert under center, the team has won more games than the previous season in each of the past two years, but Herbert is coming off a mixed 2022 marred by injuries to himself and the surrounding offense.
After touchdown rates of 5.2% and 5.7% over his first two seasons, Herbert posted a 3.6% touchdown rate this past season.
He averaged 6.8 yards per pass attempt, 9.9 yards per completion, and took a sack on 5.2% of his dropbacks. All the worst rates of his early career.
From a rushing perspective, Herbert rushed the fewest times per game over his first three years in the league (3.2 attempts per game). He averaged 2.7 yards per rush after 4.3 yards and 4.8 yards per run in his first two seasons.
Herbert suffered a chest fracture in September that he played through and then a torn labrum in January.
Outside of his own injuries, the Chargers had Rashawn Slater, Corey Linsley, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams all on the field together last season for just 20 total plays.
Herbert took just 175 dropbacks last season with both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams on the field.
On those plays, Herbert posted:
- 0.17 expected points added per dropback (would have ranked third over the full season)
- 50.8% success rate (would have ranked second)
- 7.9 yards per pass attempt (would have ranked third)
- 77.1% completion rate (would have led the league)
- 106.4 rating (would have ranked second)
The Chargers will surely pick up Herbert’s fifth-year option prior to the May 1st deadline. That will carry a $29.5 million total in 2024 should the two sides remain in negotiations on a long-term contract.
Behind Herbert, the Chargers have one of the weakest backup situations in the league.
They could still try to bring back Chase Daniel, who remains a free agent, but only Easton Stick is currently on the roster for 2023. Stick has played just two offensive snaps since being drafted in 2019.
Running Back Depth Chart, Chargers:
- Austin Ekeler
- Joshua Kelley
- Isaiah Spiller
- Larry Rountree
- Zander Horvath (FB)
The Chargers are definitely in the mix to continue adding running back help during the draft.
The team has selected a running back in each of the past three drafts, but we have yet to see any of Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree, or Isaiah Spiller operate above replacement level in the NFL.
Compounding the lack of production here as we move down the depth chart, there is a contractual schism between the team and Austin Ekeler.
Ekeler is looking for a new contract, and the Chargers have granted him permission to look for it elsewhere. We have had no movement on that front, and Ekeler is still on the roster.
Even if the two sides come to an agreement, Ekeler is turning 28 years old this May, and he and the team have been vocal about alleviating his workload.
Even if Ekeler is a Charger in 2023, the team should explore improving the backfield as a whole.
Ekeler himself was forced to carry this offense a year ago given all of the injuries. He had a career-high 311 touches and led the NFL in total touchdowns (18) for the second consecutive year.
With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams missing so much time, Ekeler led the team with career-highs in targets (127) and receptions (107).
The forced volume did sap his previously prestige efficiency, however. Ekeler averaged just 6.7 yards per catch and 5.7 yards per target, the lowest rates in his career by far.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Chargers:
- Keenan Allen
- Mike Williams
- Josh Palmer
- Keelan Doss
- John Hightower
The Chargers were battered at the wide receiver position last season.
Keenan Allen missed seven full regular season games and had two other games in which he only played 33% and 32% of the snaps due to ongoing hamstring issues.
Despite the missed time, Allen was just as good as ever when fully healthy.
From Weeks 12 to 19, Allen was third among all wide receivers in targets (75), third in receptions (55), and sixth in receiving yards (581) to go along with four touchdowns.
Allen has already reworked his contract to remain a Charger this season and potentially next (he has a $34.7 million cap hit and $11.6 million in dead cap in 2024). Allen also turns 31 this April and is coming off a season with a ton of missed time.
Mike Williams also missed four full games last season. Playing 76% of the snaps, Williams has yet to play in every game since his rookie season and has played 80% of the snaps or more in just one season so far in the NFL.
When on the field, Williams was still a solid splash play receiver.
He averaged 14.2 yards per catch, and his 9.6 yards per target were his highest rate in a season since 2019. Williams secured 67.7% of his targets, which was a career-high.
Williams is also under contract for the next two seasons with 2024 also carrying massive cash hits ($32.4 million cap and $12.4 million in dead cap). It is hard to see either or both Williams and Allen playing in 2024 under their current contracts.
The team has Josh Palmer heading into his third season.
After taking him in the third round of the 2021 draft, Palmer was pressed into a larger role last season, finishing second on the team with 107 targets behind Ekeler.
Palmer has been a solid player through two seasons, but the team still needs more juice here at the position.
Palmer has averaged 10.7 yards per catch in both seasons. Despite being pushed into a larger role in 2022, Palmer was targeted on just 17.0% of his routes, which ranked 77th among all wideouts with over 100 routes run.
Palmer actually ran 618 pass routes last season, which was tied for the fifth-most in the NFL.
His company in that department was the likes of Donovan Peoples-Jones and Michael Gallup, which I believe is fitting. Palmer is a player that can contribute and will have longevity in the NFL but is more of a component to a passing game rather than someone that projects to carry one.
With both Allen and Williams approaching their thirties paired with their health history, the Chargers need to keep pursuing ceiling players at the position.
The team also greatly needs speed here at wide receiver.
Just 12.3% of Palmer’s career targets to this stage have been deep targets. That ranks 135th in the league over the past two seasons.
Behind Allen, Williams, and Palmer, things are as thin as they can be. Keelan Doss (11) and John Hightower (10) have combined for 21 career receptions.
Tight End Depth Chart, Chargers:
- Gerald Everett
- Donald Parham
- Tre McKitty
- Stone Smartt
- Hunter Kampmoyer
Charger tight ends combined for 126 targets (ninth in the NFL) and 83 receptions (10th) but lagged behind their opportunities in combining for 778 receiving yards (19th) and five touchdowns (17th). Charger tight ends averaged just 9.4 yards per catch (26th).
The team was led by Gerald Everett, who set career highs in targets (87), receptions (58), and receiving yards (555) to go along with four touchdowns.
Everett’s 1.41 yards per route run ranked 20th among tight ends a year ago despite being targeted on 20.2% of his routes, which ranked 12th.
Everett is entering the final year of his contract with last season being his best in the NFL through six years.
The only tight ends signed beyond this season are Tre McKitty and Stone Smartt.
While the Chargers can kick the can and run back this unit as it was a year ago, exploring the addition of a potential target earner is something they should not completely ignore in this draft class.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Chargers:
LT: Rashawn Slater/Foster Sarell/Zack Bailey
LG: Zion Johnson/Brenden Jaimes
C: Corey Linsley/Will Clapp/Isaac Weaver
RG: Jamaree Salyer/Austen Pleasants
RT: Trey Pipkins/Andrew Trainer
This offensive line had plenty of health and performance issues in 2022.
The Chargers ended last season ranking 23rd in ESPN’s pass block win rate (57%) and 28th in their run block win rate (70%) metrics.
Pro Football Focus graded the team collectively 17th in pass blocking and dead last in run blocking grade.
The team allowed a pressure on 35.8% of dropbacks (24th in the league) while Justin Herbert was sacked on a career-high 5.2% of his dropbacks.
The only Charger linemen to play in all 18 games last season were Zion Johnson and Matt Feiler, and Feiler was just released. His release has set in motion some reshuffling up front.
With Feiler gone, Zion Johnson is expected to move to left guard after playing every snap he took as a rookie at right guard. Last year’s first-round pick allowed a 5.1% pressure rate (54th among guards) as a rookie.
Getting Rashawn Slater back after playing in just three games will be huge.
His absence did allow last season’s sixth-round pick Jamaree Salyer to earn his stripes playing left tackle for all but one snap as a rookie. Salyer was able to hold his own, ending the season ranking 29th among all tackles in collective grade at Pro Football Focus. He is expected to move to right guard this season.
Slater, Johnson, and Salyer are all on rookie contracts for multiple seasons, and the team also has Corey Linsley and Trey Pipkins each signed for multiple seasons.
Linsley was still an anchor at center, closing the season as the highest-graded center at Pro Football Focus and allowing a pressure on just 1.2% of his snaps in protection.
The team retained Pipkins with a three-year contract this offseason.
His contract is only mild for a tackle and leaves the door open for added competition, but Pipkins allowed a pressure on 5.2% of protection snaps, which was 34th out of 95 qualifying tackles, and ranked 22nd in sack rate allowed (0.5%).
The Chargers could add depth here, but the improvement of this unit is tied to health and continued growth from last year’s draft picks.
Los Angeles Chargers Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Dan Pizzuta breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Los Angeles Chargers, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Los Angeles Chargers Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Chargers:
- Sebastian Joseph-Day
- Austin Johnson
- Morgan Fox
- Otito Ogbonnia'
- Christopher Hinton
- David Moa
The Chargers brought in Sebastian Joseph-Day to sure up the run defense, and it worked when he was on the field.
Joseph-Day had 47 tackles that produced a positive play for the defense, which ranked 18th among all defensive linemen.
This is a place where the whole didn’t match the sum of its parts.
Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox, and Otito Ogbonnia are solid run defenders on their own, but it never fully came together to slow down opponents on the ground.
Overall, the Chargers were still 32nd in EPA per play against the run. The problem was how quickly the tackles happened.
The Chargers ranked 29th in yards allowed before contact per rush, per TruMedia. They also ranked 30th in yards after contact per rush.
With an overall weakness against the run, the Chargers had to play a neutral box more often and only ranked 16th in the percentage of defensive snaps with a light box.
EDGE Depth Chart, Chargers:
- Joey Bosa
- Khalil Mack
- Chris Rumph II
- Ty Shelby
- Carlo Kemp
Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack were expected to be one of the best edge duos in the league last season, but we didn’t get to see that pairing too often. Bosa played in just five games and the two shared the field for only 128 defensive snaps.
When those two were on the field, the Chargers had a pass defense that would have ranked fifth and a pressure rate that would have ranked fourth over a full season.
Mack continued to play well without Bosa and was again a strong run defender, but the depth behind him was not all that strong.
Kyle Van Noy had to rush on 76% of his pass snaps to become a de facto second edge rusher, but he was on a one-year deal and remains a free agent.
It is a similar situation the Chargers find themselves in this season with not much behind Bosa and Mack.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Chargers:
- Kenneth Murray
- Eric Kendricks
- Nick Niemann
- Amen Ogbongbemiga
- Tyreek Maddox-Williams
- Damon Lloyd
Kenneth Murray hasn’t really taken off the way the Chargers would have hoped when they used a first-round pick on the linebacker in 2020.
Murray got to play a bit more downhill in 2022, which led to career-highs in tackles for loss (seven) and quarterback hits (four).
He also had more pressures in 2022 when he rushed the passer on 12% of his pass snaps than he did in 2021 when he rushed on over 30%.
There have been ups and downs in coverage throughout his career. The Chargers have not made an official decision, but it looks unlikely they pick up Murray’s fifth-year option for 2024.
The presence of Drue Tranquill made some things easier for Murray and allowed him to play more downhill, but Tranquill left in free agency. The Chargers will hope Eric Kendricks can play a similar role.
Kendricks just turned 31, and while he’s not quite still the 2019 All-Pro version, he has remained a solid all-around linebacker.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Chargers:
- J.C. Jackson
- Asante Samuel Jr.
- Michael Davis
- Ja’Sir Taylor
- Deane Leonard
- Kemon Hall
- Michael Jacquet
J.C. Jackson was supposed to be the missing piece that tied the Chargers’ secondary together, but that never happened.
Before he was lost to injury, Jackson struggled and was the worst outside cornerback by yards allowed per coverage snap.
There is hope a full recovery and another year in the system will help Jackson look more like the corner from New England. However, it is unknown when Jackson will be back to full health.
Both Asante Samuel Jr. and Michael Davis had their ups and downs in coverage.
Overall, they ranked 50th and 51st in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap over the full season, but each had some flashes that highlighted the high range of play they are capable of.
Davis had 14 passes defensed after the Chargers’ Week 8 bye, a figure that led the league. Only one other defender was above 10.
He was the most targeted cornerback in football during that time period, but he allowed just 0.22 yards per coverage snap and a 40.7% completion rate.
Samuel had a slightly better start to the season before dipping in the second half, but he showed out for the incredible playoff game against the Jaguars.
There is a question of who will play slot corner.
Bryce Callahan played the position over the past few seasons, but he is still a free agent.
2022 sixth-round pick Ja’Sir Taylor got some snaps in the slot late in the season and would currently project to be the starter there.
Safety Depth Chart, Chargers:
- Derwin James
- Alohi Gilman
- JT Woods
- Raheem Layne
- Mark Webb Jr.
Derwin James returned to being Derwin James and was a deserved first-team All-Pro selection at safety. James was ninth among defensive backs in tackles that produced a positive play for the defense.
With the retirement of Nasir Adderly, who was also scheduled to be a free agent, the Chargers remain a bit thin at safety.
Alohi Gilman played 45% of the defensive snaps last season and was more of a third safety when he was on the field, though he got some starts at the end of the year.
A highly athletic player, JT Woods was a third-round pick out of Baylor last season, but he got on the field for just 3% of the defensive snaps as a rookie.
John Johnson remains a free agent after being released from the Browns, and there is an easy connection to make between him and Brandon Staley after the successful 2020 Rams season.
That could be the easiest way to plug more depth into the position while draft picks are used elsewhere.
