The best term to describe the 2025 Chargers WR room would probably be uneven. There were stretches during the season (particularly in September) where it looked pretty dangerous. Through the first two or three weeks of the season, Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, and Quentin Johnston were all on pace for 1000 yard seasons.
But we all know how it finished. Week by week, the Chargers' pass protection picked up more injuries. Justin Herbert finished the season as the most pressured and second most sacked quarterback in the league. The receiving production isn't going to be there when the offense can't even get off of the ground. Zero Chargers receivers finished with 800+ yards for the first time since 2015.
Mike McDaniel is now in the picture and in theory should lift the offense as a whole. But the WR group still had some questions to be answered about each player individually.
Which Chargers wide receivers are likely to get the biggest bump from Mike McDaniel as their new OC?
WR1: Ladd McConkey
Ladd McConkey strikes me as the wide receiver best built to take advantage of YAC opportunities in Mike McDaniel's offense. McConkey was 12th in the NFL in WR yards after contact in 2024 (477). That figure fell to 322 yards after contact in 2025. Given McDaniel's ability to create space and angles for his offensive targets, it feels like we could see a resurgence there.
McConkey struggled over the back half of the season as he averaged just 26.3 yards per game from Weeks 11 to 17. This also coincided with the hand injury to QB Justin Herbert. But McConkey also had a worse season in terms of playing the ball on contested catches: he went from 62.5% on contested targets in 2024 to 21.4% last season. At the same time, 11% fewer of his targets were deemed catchable.
It remains to be seen whether he'll return to full 2024 form, but it makes sense to buy the McConkey dip when factoring in the poor offensive context from last season. He should have a lot of easier targets funneled to him in space relative to last season.
A key question for McConkey's presence-will the Chargers opt to bring Keenan Allen back in 2026? For now the answer remains no, but GM Joe Hortiz has discussed the possibility this offseason. Not having to worry about Allen slot targets would certainly make McConkey's numbers more likely to resemble his 2024 season more closely.
Grade: B+
WR2: Quentin Johnston
Quentin Johnston has quietly improved in each season statistically and on film after his rough rookie campaign. The Chargers were confident enough in Johnston going forward to pick up his fifth-year option. Mike McDaniel has also publicly expressed confidence in the TCU product.
One of Johnston's skillsets that hasn't been unlocked in the pros yet is his yards-after-catch ability. In addition to his consistent improvements as a boundary receiver, that's one of the things McDaniel could unlock this year. In his final season at TCU, Johnston had 532 yards after the catch. He had just over 200 in Greg Roman's offense last year.
Johnston had his highest passer rating when targeted of his career last season at 116.3.
Consistency remains an issue for Johnston even if he's worked on the drops from his first two seasons. From weeks 5-14 last year, Johnston had just 30 targets over the course of eight games. There are various reasons for that with the rough offensive structure last season, but he can slip out of the offense fairly easily when he isn't being targeted.
Grade: B
WR3: Tre' Harris
It was a quiet rookie season for Tre' Harris after the Chargers drafted him with their second-round selection in 2025. But he showed real signs of development towards the end of the season. Harris had 159 of his 344 yards on the season in his final five games. A highlight catch against the Chiefs when the Chargers were down 10 arguably saved the game for them.
Harris will definitely be involved. The question is just how much of a role is left for a third receiver in this offense production wise when Mike McDaniel does lean more heavily into 0-2 receivers on the field more frequently than 3+. But Harris has demonstrated his ability as a blocker and is arguably the best in that capacity amongst the wide receivers. That could prove to be important in McDaniel's running game.
Grade: B-
In the mix for reps: Brenen Thompson, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Derius Davis
Brenen Thompson was selected by the team in the fourth-round. Despite his small stature, Thompson was competitive as a true SEC X WR with great burst. He had 1054 yards, six touchdowns, and 18.5 yards per reception last season.
The question again is just how frequently he'll get on the field when McDaniel rarely plays 3+ receivers on the field at a given time. But considering how his archetype of wideout does fit the McDaniel offense, he'll have an impact at some point this season.
Brenen Thompson: New rookie, N/A
KeAndre Lambert-Smith impressed towards the end of the season. It was a rough regular season start after he had an electric preseason campaign. In his first few games, he had moments where he ran the wrong routes and was not always lined up properly. For the most part, they were correctable rookie mistakes.
But Lambert-Smith did show flashes of why the Chargers picked him. Against Kansas City in December, he had a great 34 yard kickoff return to set up a touchdown that he'd also score before halftime. He's still a raw product, but one that is worthy of development in year two.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith: C
Derius Davis has taken several steps back from the returner it looked like he would be in his 2023 All-Pro campaign. Part of that equation has been injuries. The Chargers had bottom ten return games statistically for both kickoffs and punts as Davis dealt with knee and ankle issues.
The other issue for Davis is some size and skillset overlap with the recently drafted Thompson. He'll also have other returners this year competing for his jobs on Ryan Ficken's unit. Unfortunate injury circumstances have brought Davis to this point, but he needs a great 2026 offseason to secure his place on the roster.
Derius Davis: C-
Practice squad competition: Dalevon Campbell, JaQuae Jackson, Luke Grimm, Mante' Morrow, Sincere Brown, Devonte Ross
Dalevon Campbell is a worthy competitor for a practice squad spot. He was claimed on waivers last year by the Panthers after he had a solid preseason campaign (147 receiving yards) with the Chargers. Competing for a roster spot is probably out of the question for now, but he has intriguing size and athleticism. Former Rutgers WR JaQuae Jackson will likely compete for a special teams role on the practice squad as well.
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