Why Johnston, McConkey Won’t Be Enough For Justin Herbert

The Los Angeles Chargers have been one of the bigger anomalies in the league during the Justin Herbert era. Despite having a franchise quarterback and a talented roster from top to bottom, the team has regularly underachieved and has seemed snake-bitten in key moments.

The Chargers are looking to change the perception of their team and the first sign of that was the firing of embattled head coach Brandon Staley. The team has now brought in Jim Harbaugh, who has won in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and at the highest level of NCAA football with the Michigan Wolverines.

The Chargers will look quite different this offseason. Running back Austin Ekeler left for the Washington Commanders, and wide receiver Mike Williams is now a New York Jet. Keenan Allen, who has the second-most all-time receptions for the team, was traded to the Chicago Bears, who also scooped up their top tight end, Gerald Everett.

In 2024, Herbert will be throwing to 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston and 2024 second-rounder Ladd McConkey, and that is not enough offensive talent to make the team go.

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Chargers Lost Some Serious Studs

Williams and Allen worked great as a duo

Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have been teammates on the Chargers since the 2017 season. And not only were they talented receivers, but their skill sets also complemented each other well. When Justin Herbert became the starter in 2020, he was able to count on both players to make plays for him.

The fact that both wideouts left was tough enough, but Ekeler, Everett, and backup running bak Josh Kelley makes it a steep mountain to climb in terms of replacing such a large chunk of production.

Williams is a size and speed freak. He stands at six-foot-four and weighs 218 pounds. Despite his massive size, he still runs a 4.54 40-yard dash and his ability to get deep has been an important part of the Chargers’ offense, as evidenced by the fact that his 15.6 yards per reception since entering the league in 2017 rank second among WRs, behind only A.J. Brown.

Mike Williams is also the king of the contested catch, as he ranked in the top 10 in contested catches each year from 2018-2022.

The former Clemson Tiger was on track for a career year in 2023 with 19 catches for 249 yards in just three games before tearing his ACL. The team will badly miss his ability to stretch the field and win jump balls.

Keenan Allen operated differently than Williams. A smooth-as-silk route runner with terrific hands, Allen has five 100-reception seasons on his resume. He hasn’t slowed down either, as last year’s 108 receptions were a career-high and were also leading the league at the time of his injury in Week 14. One of the best safety-net receivers in the NFL, Herbert will badly miss Allen.

Chargers Offense Should Look Different This Season

The team will likely be running the ball a lot more

Jim Harbaugh plans on running the ball. With the fifth pick in the draft this year, the team could have taken any receiver outside of Marvin Harrison Jr. Instead, the team opted for gargantuan offensive tackle Joe Alt.

The Chargers also brought in two running backs (J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards) from Harbaugh’s brothers team, the Baltimore Ravens, to replace Ekeler. It’s safe to say, Los Angeles’ offense will look quite different this year under Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who has success running the ball wherever he goes.

Quentin Johnston, last year’s first-round rookie and the second WR off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, did not deliver the kind of freshman campaign he would have liked to.

Despite appearing in all 17 games and the fact that both Williams and Allen missed time to injury, he only caught 38 passes for 431 yards and two touchdowns. There will be more opportunities for him this season, but he will also have to be more effective when the ball comes his way.

Ladd McConkey, the Charger’s second-round pick in 2024, played in a ball-control offense with Georgia last year, catching 30 passes in nine games for 478 yards and two touchdowns.

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There are certainly scouts that think he’s capable of more. An electric athlete with 4.39 speed, the former Bulldog will likely fill Allen’s role in the offense as the do-it-all possession receiver.

There could be a time when Johnston and McConkey could be the kind of players who make this offense go, and both receivers have significant upside.

However, they will not be able to replicate Allen and Williams’ impact in 2024, and Harbaugh’s run-centric offensive style should also hold them back a bit. If the Chargers win big in 2024, they will be doing it differently than they have in the past.

All statistics are courtesy of Pro Football Reference, and all statistics are courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise noted.

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