All the focus has been on Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but one analyst says people should keep an eye on another Chargers receiver.
The Los Angeles Chargers are loaded at wide receiver.
Keenan Allen is the team’s No. 1 wideout. He’s coming off a season where he played just half of a football game before tearing his ACL and missing the remainder of the year. Coming off three season-ending injuries, Allen is reportedly looking great in training camp.
Meanwhile, plenty of attention has been on Mike Williams, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Williams hasn’t been able to participate in training camp due to a lower back injury. Nobody really knows what’s going on with his situation.
The Chargers even have Travis Benjamin, a 2016 free-agent acquisition. Benjamin disappointed last year, but that was because he was dealing with an injury throughout the season. He’s apparently turning heads at camp (being healthy and getting your confidence back will go a long way).
I feel like we’re forgetting somebody. Oh, that’s right, the guy who led the Chargers in receiving yards last year: Tyrell Williams.
A year after catching just two balls for 90 yards, the 2015 undrafted free agent finished with 69 receptions for 1,059 yards and seven scores. It was the first time since 2013 (Allen) where a Chargers receiver surpassed 1,000 receiving yards.
Williams also tied with five others (including Benjamin) for the most catches of 40-plus yards and had 19 catches of 20-plus yards, which tied for sixth-best in the league. Not only that, but he was the second-most productive receiver from the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.
T. Williams’ name hasn’t been brought up a lot, and according to NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal, people shouldn’t sleep on him in 2017.
"@TyrellWilliams_ is the player that I really believe people are sleeping on." #NFLTrainingCamp
? | @greggrosenthal https://t.co/d7aDApowuH
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) July 31, 2017
Rosenthal praises Williams’ ability to make plays after the catch. He believes Williams, who has a rare combination of height (6-4) and speed, is a solid No. 2 wide receiver–and I agree.
Williams, who’s only 25 years old, broke out last year and is continuing to learn this offense. If he works on getting stronger at the catch point to avoid tipped balls, then he will be more successful than he was last year.