A year ago, the Los Angeles Chargers struck gold in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, trading up three slots from No. 37 to No. 34 to select Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who shattered all sorts of franchise rookie records with 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season.
He then made some NFL playoff history as well in Los Angeles' Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans, recording nine catches for 197 yards, the latter representing the most ever by a rookie in a postseason game.
Now, the Chargers are hoping they've found yet another second-round gem in Tre Harris, whom they selected with the No. 55 overall pick this past April. It seems a bit unreasonable (and unfair) to expect the Ole Miss alum to match the magic McConkey provided a season ago. That said, however, McConkey's success does put a little extra pressure on Harris to produce quickly.
And to add to that pressure, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski has named the 23-year-old as one of six rookies who have the potential to be more exciting than Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Chargers WR Tre Harris just had some extra pressure put on his rookie season
By no means was Sobleski suggesting that Hunter will be a disappointment for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was simply trying to temper expectations, as the likelihood of the two-way superstar getting as many snaps on both sides of the fooball as he did at Colorado is fairly low.
As such, he focused on six players who may be able to, as he put it, "generate even more excitement" than Hunter might be able to in Year 1. His first three selections were more obvious, those being quarterback Cam Ward (No. 1 overall, Titans), edge rusher Abdul Carter (No. 3 overall, Giants), and running back Ashton Jeanty (No. 6 overall, Raiders).
The remaining three were what he viewed as "wild cards," those being edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku (No. 44 overall, Cowboys), safety Andrew Mukuba (No. 64 overall, Eagles), and, of course, Tre Harris. Here's a little of what Sobleski had to say about the First-Team All-SEC selection.
"Tre Harris was on a tear last season before suffering a lower-body injury. In eight appearances for Ole Miss, he still caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards, including four contests with 130 or more yards. He has the physique and style of play to emerge as the Chargers' X-receiver. He's big and physical enough to consistently win matchups."
He's certainly correct about Harris having the size to win matchups, as the rookie stands 6-foot-2 and tips the scales at a solid 205 pounds. He's certainly not the fastest guy, posting a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, so you can bet Jim Harbaugh will have him working on his speed as the season progresses.
With McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and the returning Mike Williams currently ahead of him on the depth chart, it's obviously difficult to know just how many snaps Harris will see at the beginning of the year.
That said, though, if he has a strong training camp and performs well during the preseason, don't be surprised if he cracks the starting lineup sooner rather than later. He's already developed a solid relationship with quarterback Justin Herbert, and one has to assume that Harbaugh is eager to get him onto the field, even if only to force teams away from doubling McConkey.
Whatever his role may be, Harris has some lofty expectations to live up to.