A strong rookie class isn't going to be enough to save the Los Angeles Chargers' season. With four consecutive losses to start the campaign, they may as well already be eliminated from playoff contention.
It just doesn't seem like there's a world where this offense turns things around quickly enough to rattle off a series of wins against the remaining opponents on their slate. The rest of this season, then, should be focused on development and a re-structuring of this team's identity. Even if the campaign isn't salavageable in terms of a playoff berth, there's room for the coaching staff to inject the roster with some level of optimism between now and the end of their 17-game schedule.
Of course, if the slate is wiped clean this offseason, the developments on the part of the coaching staff won't matter much. But this year's draft class, no matter what, will likely be part of the backbone of this team moving forward.
Thankfully, most of Los Angeles' draft selections have continued to show promise at this point in the season. It just simply hasn't been enough to impact the outcome of games (which is part of Joe Hortiz's folly in the first place).
Checking in with the Chargers' rookies as the season officially goes off the rails
Akheem Mesidor, OLB
Mesidor, for me, was one of the team's biggest risers after last week's performance against the Buffalo Bills. Not only has Chris O'Leary figured out how to use him most effectively alongside Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu, but Mesidor has started to show more confidence leveraging his speed and athleticism in the Chargers' pass rush as a whole.
He didn't post a pressure in Week 4, so that's why the verdict is "hold steady" here. But he did put together another solid performance, and he's certainly a piece worth watching as moving Khalil Mack becomes a real possibility this season.
Verdict: Hold Steady
Jake Slaughter, C
The Chargers obviously haven't put Slaughter in the best position to succeed during his rookie campaign, and that continued on Sunday afternoon—when he was moved to left guard in the middle of the game to account for the team's overwhelming injuries along the offensive line.
He wound up playing just 11 of his 61 snaps there, but he allowed a career-high three pressures over the course of the game, and he simply didn't look like the viable option Los Angeles has been hoping for when he was tasked with center duties. It's certainly not time to give up on Slaughter yet, especially given the turmoil that's raged around him so far this season.
But the expectation was that he would be an immediate, starting-caliber NFL linemen. He hasn't lived up to that yet.
Verdict: Stock Down
Brenen Thompson, WR
Thompson didn't play again this week, as he was still sidelined with a quadriceps injury. His production prior to his injury also wasn't great, as he posted just one reception for 13 yards across his first two games.
But as McDaniel continues to figure out how to diversify the offense, expect Thompson to have a (comparatively) sizable role to play when he returns to the field.
Verdict: Hold Steady
Travis Burke, OT
Burke saw some snaps last week as a jumbo-package lineman, but we saw him get his first real action at left tackle in Sunday's game. Of course, Burke was never meant to play true snaps along this offensive line. For him to do so would require two of Joe Alt, Rashawn Slater, and Trey Pipkins III to be hurt, and we saw all three miss time against Seattle.
But the Chargers have projected confidence since training camp concerning Burke's ability to step immediately into the fold, and if either Alt or Slater is forced to miss next week's game, it's a real possibility that Burke could get his first NFL start. It may be time to see what the rangy lineman can do.
Verdict: Stock Up
Genesis Smith, S
Smith likely wasn't going to top his two-interception performance this week. But he did have another solid outing, and he saw an increase in his defensive snap share even with Elijah Molden back in the fold.
He also does not have a single missed tackle (per Pro Football Focus's tracking) to this point in the season, which means he's likely done a lot to ease the concerns that followed him exiting the Draft. Don't bank on eye-popping plays every week, but Smith is developing into a solid contributor in the secondary for this Los Angeles team before our eyes.
Verdict: Steadily Rising
Nick Barrett, DT
Barrett remains a relatively minor part of this defensive line rotation even with Dalvin Tomlinson out. He simply won't be able to compete with Teair Tart, Justin Eboigbe, and Jamaree Caldwell in terms of impact this season.
But he's been quietly effective when he's gotten his opportunities, and he posted two tackles on Sunday on just 16 total snaps. Pro Football Focus doesn't have him listed as having a pressure in the game, although he was certainly involved on at least one play that led to a sack. Barrett will be a player to keep an eye on over the rest of the season as Los Angeles continues to identify its truly reliable defensive depth pieces.
Verdict: Stock Up
Logan Taylor & Alex Harkey, OT/G
Now, I need to qualify this section before I say anything else. Taylor let up the strip sack that ultimately lost the Chargers the game yesterday, and in light of this, his stock should likely be plummeting.
But both of these players had almost no chance to see the field when the season began. If Branson Taylor and Tyler Biadasz were healthy, who knows if they even would've made the 53-man roster? Over the course of the Seattle matchup, though, the Chargers lost Alt, Slater, and Trevor Penning to injury. They're already down their top two left guard options in Kayode Awosika and Trey Pipkins III, which means that there's a real chance that Taylor or Harkey is forced to take the field, at least for a stretch, next week against the Denver Broncos.
Is that a disastrous outcome for this Chargers team? Probably. But in that light—and in that light only—Harkey and Taylor are tentative risers on this list.
Verdict: Stock Up (?)
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