Chargers may have just stumbled into their savior at wide receiver

The LA Chargers entered the 2024 season with one of the worst receiving corps on paper in the entire NFL. Rookie Ladd McConkey has helped this problem but the fact remains the Chargers need to add talent around Justin Herbert in the future.

Some of that talent might already be on the roster and it just needs a bigger role. It is not uncommon for players to come into their own after some time and that might be what is happening with 2023 fourth-round pick Derius Davis.

Davis is already well-known for his special teams ability as a return man for the Chargers. The former TCU wideout was so good in his rookie season he earned Second-Team All-Pro honors as a return man.

Davis' value is finally starting to bleed over to the offense late in the 2024 season. In what might go down as an inflection point in Davis' career with the Chargers, the sophomore wide receiver hauled in an impressive touchdown against the New England Patriots to find the endzone for the second week in a row.

Derius Davis could be emerging as the Chargers' next great wide receiver

Davis did not score a single touchdown on offense in his first 29 games in the NFL with the Chargers. That changed last week against the Denver Broncos, when Davis hauled in one of the most impressive touchdown catches of the season for the Bolts.

Davis has now scored in two consecutive games, both in impressive fashion. Fans have been begging the Chargers to get Davis more involved in the offense and it looks like offensive coordinator Greg Roman is listening.

Heading into Saturday, Davis had only 25 catches for 144 yards in his 29 games played for the Chargers. The Chargers have really only used Davis as a gadget player with very few designed looks for him as a vertical passing threat.

Davis' touchdown against the Broncos came out of the backfield on a wheel route after Herbert extended the play. It was not a gadget play, but it was not a designed deep-ball for the former Horned Frog. Saturday's touchdown was different. The Chargers utilized Davis' immense athleticism on a corner, which was capped off with an exceptional catch.

Some fans are eagerly comparing Davis to Tyreek Hill because of his small stature and his great speed. That is a far-fetched comparison, but the Chargers could definitely utilize Davis' speed in a way Hill's teams have utilized him in his career.

This feels like a fork-in-the-road moment where the Chargers are realizing Davis' true potential in the offense. With Herbert gaining more confidence in the sophomore, fans may see more plays drawn up down the field for the explosive wideout.

And if this seems far-fetched, just remember: Malcom Floyd had 356 receiving yards in his first four years with the team before becoming one of the most beloved receivers in recent team history.

Davis couldn't be more different than Floyd as a wide receiver, but he could see a late blossom in his career in a similar way. But with Davis in his second year, this late blossom may be coming much sooner.