There is a lot of talent on the LA Chargers' roster heading into the 2022 season and it is safe to say that the excitement is at an all-time high for the team. If the Chargers are as good as they are on paper then they are going to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders this upcoming season.
While there is a lot of excitement around the team, there are still players who are potentially getting overlooked. These players are in a good position to have breakout seasons in 2022 and as a result, would shock the fanbase in a positive way.
Last year it was Nasir Adderley and there is bound to be at least one of these players in 2022. Let's break down the several candidates who could shock Chargers fans around the world.
3 Chargers who could shock the world during the 2022 season:
1. Chris Rumph
Chris Rumph is not going to be a starter on the edge this season and that alone might not be enough to "shock the world". However, he is coming into the season as the EDGE4 behind Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Kyle Van Noy and is primed to have a great season for a depth piece.
Rumph showed some serious flashes of potential as a rotational edge rusher last season and he will undoubtedly get his chances in 2022 as the team rotates players to stay fresh. Plus, injuries are inevitable in today's game and there will be a point in time in which Rumph likely has to step up.
Rumph is an unknown for the casual Charger fan and with so much talent in front of him to learn from as well as a fantastic defensive coaching staff, he is going to make a name for himself in his second season. This will set the table for Rumph to take an even bigger role in year three once Van Noy leaves the team.
2. Kenneth Murray
Call me crazy but I still believe in Kenneth Murray as an NFL player. A lot of people gave up hope on Nasir Adderley after his first two seasons and he came out with a head-turning third year that changed everyone's opinion on him as a player.
While the situations are undoubtedly different, Murray has had to deal with some hurdles thus far in his NFL career that absolutely can set a young player back. He has had to play in two different defenses in two years, didn't get a true rookie season because of a global pandemic and played with an injured ankle for pretty much all of the 2021 season.
His decision-making is questionable and he had a really ugly season last season. There is no reason to sit here and pretend that Murray was really good last season because he wasn't. He was really bad. However, the same potential that the Chargers saw in him two years ago is still there as he is still an uber-athletic linebacker who in theory, could be good in Brandon Staley's defense.
Staley values linebackers less than any other position on the defense but there is still value in Murray being someone who can play man coverage in early downs while also being someone who can attack running lanes and help in that regard. Yes, he has to improve his football IQ out there in order to do so but a second season with Staley and this coaching staff could help.
I am not saying that Murray is going to be a Pro Bowler next season. However, he could make the jump into being a serviceable linebacker for the Bolts in the same way that Denzel Perryman was before he left. With so many Charger fans already writing him off, Murray would shock the world by doing that.
3. Trey Pipkins
I officially have planted my flag on Trey Pipkins island. I am purchasing half of the real estate on the island and I think that by the time the 2022 season is over, there are going to be plenty of Charger fans looking to buy real estate on Pipkins island at a much higher price.
Do I think that Pipkins is going to come in and be the Rashawn Slater of the right side of the offensive line? Not at all, that would be an absurd thing to project considering Slater is likely going to be an All-Pro next season. Do I think that Pipkins can come in and be as good at right tackle as Matt Feiler would be? Honestly, yes I do.
I know that is a lot of put on Pipkins but if he is ever going to show his value in the league it has to be this season. The Chargers drafted him as a developmental tackle in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and we all panicked when he didn't play great right away forgetting that the keyword: developmental.
Frank Smith was one of the best offensive line coaches in the league last season and while he is now the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, his impact on Pipkins should still be felt. Pipkins has shown flashes of being quite decent, after all, and those flashes will culminate with a positive season at right tackle.
The Chargers seem to believe in Pipkins considering the team did not add a single right tackle this offseason. I doubt they believe in Storm Norton after the Week 18 performance he had last season, so it has to be Pipkins who they are betting on.
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Pipkins played just one game at right tackle last season and did not allow a single pressure. Granted, it was against a banged-up Denver Broncos team but that is still extremely promising. The potential is there for Pipkins to shock the world, and quite frankly, I think there is a good chance that he does.