Under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, the Los Angeles Chargers' wide receiver room should take major strides across the board.
Ladd McConkey, who lost a significant share of his targets with the return of Keenan Allen last season, should be poised to take over as an alpha in McDaniel's YAC-centric passing scheme. If Quentin Johnston can stay healthy, he should get more consistent downfield opportunities. Even KeAndre Lambert-Smith and rookie receiver Brenen Thompson should have significant roles to play as gadget pass-catchers within the offense.
But across the coaching staff's offseason messaging, one thing has remained consistent. They view second-year receiver Tre Harris as one of their most promising weapons, and they intend for him to take on an alpha role alongside McConkey and Johnston this season. Jim Harbaugh reiterated this sentiment during his press appearance prior to the start of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh on WR Quentin Johnston's progression: "I think he can have a career year. He's been aces all offseason."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) June 16, 2026
"We have three elite receivers," in reference to Johnston, Tre' Harris, and Ladd McConkey.
But Harris, who served in a limited capacity in Greg Roman's offense in 2025, will still need to use the rest of minicamp and training camp to justify that sentiment.
Tre' Harris has immense potential, and the Chargers plan to unlock it in 2026
Even from the time both Harris and Lambert-Smith were both selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, fans' excitement has always crystallized around Harris. Coming out of the college, the receiver was seen as a legitimate downfield threat, As a senior at Ole Miss, Harris posted an astounding 1,030 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 60 receptions.
During his first NFL season, though, Harris didn't get consistent opportunities until the latter portions of the campaign, in large part because his blocking abilities opened up snaps for him in the normal course of the offense. In 2025, he posted just 324 receiving yards and one touchdown on 30 receptions.
At 6'3" and 210 lbs, Harris profiles as an X-receiver with strong possession-catch abilities in the middle part of the field. He averaged 17.2 yards-per-reception at Ole Miss, and he also has the ability to generate significant yards after the catch when he's given a reasonable amount of space. Those skills should allow him to carve out snaps alongside Quentin Johnston this season.
But no matter what the Chargers publicly project, their commitment, first and foremost, is to Johnston and McConkey. McConkey has all of the makings to turn into a star under McDaniel's scheme, and the organization recently committed to Johnston's fifth-year option, which will sit at a price of just under $16.5 million for the 2027 season. Los Angeles has a duty to see what they truly have in these two receivers before they turn to Harris as a primary offensive weapon.
What the coaching staff says at this juncture certainly holds weight. But Harris will need to continue to impress through the rest of the offseason program and training camp if he wants his target share to reflect these sentiments in 2026.
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