Derius Davis was once one of the most exciting young returners in the entire NFL. In fact, Davis earned All-Pro Second Team honors his rookie season with the LA Chargers, setting up what seemed to be a long and fruitful career.
Years two and three have been less kind to Davis. The 2023 fourth-round pick has battled a mixture of injuries and moments of poor play to lose a lot of the faith he once had. The Chargers signing speedster and return option Keaton Mitchell only muddied the waters for the young wideout.
Davis will undoubtedly stick on the roster throughout training camp and the preseason, but his chances of making the 53-man roster may not be as set in stone as they have been the last three years. In fact, the 2026 NFL Draft could only exacerbate this reality.
Chargers' draft choices could start the beginning of the end for Derius Davis
Of course, this all depends on who the Chargers actually take in the 2026 NFL Draft. If Los Angeles loads up on defensive players then Davis will have a more winnable situation in camp.
However, there is the very real possibility that the Chargers take someone with return upside in the draft. It won't be a primary need for the Bolts as they have a fallback option and don't need to commit legitimate draft capital on just a returner, but there are players who can thrive in both areas in this class.
As exciting as Iowa's Kaden Wetjen would be, the Chargers simply do not have the resources to commit to him at this point in time. But what if the team spent early draft capital on Texas A&M's KC Concepcion? The Bolts did meet with Concepcion, who had the fifth-highest average punt return in NCAA last year.
It doesn't even have to be a prospect with established special teams value. Speedster Brenen Thompson has become a popular name in the middle rounds of the draft and the Bolts may not be able to pass on him if he is there in the fourth round.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel would add explosive speed in someone who could theoretically also provide value as a returner. College experience as a returner is not a necessity to be a good returner in the NFL.
And that's just the problem for Davis: the Chargers don't have to find a bona fide returner to replace him. Davis has little to no offensive value to the Chargers. So if they can find someone who can add offensive value, and simply replace the low floor Davis has established, then his spot on the roster is in jeopardy.
It's not a big storyline for the Chargers, nor is it one that is going to decide the team's fate in 2026. But it's always notable when a recent All-Pro is potentially nearing the end of his tenure with a team. Time will tell.
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