3 strongest positions on the Chargers roster heading into training camp

LA Chargers training camp has finally hit zero hour as we are only a few days away from the action getting started at The Bolt. After an eventful and potentially game-changing offseason for the team, all the speculation and wonder will soon give way to answers.

Fans are about to learn what this offense will look like. Fans are about to learn what Jim Harbaugh’s coaching hire will mean for the Chargers in real numbers. And yes, fans will soon see the team open at home against the Raiders.

For now, and before the answers are made clear, there is still the what if… the potential of the unknown. For all the questions about the team, we do have some solid answers on three key positions. Here are the three strongest team positions heading into training camp 2024.

Strongest positions on Chargers roster heading into training camp:

1. Edge Rushers

If the 2024 Chargers are going to have any chance this season, their defense will have to help carry the team while the offense figures itself out. In a loaded AFC West and with Patrick Mahomes able to make magic out of thin air, the team’s defense is going to have to perform measurably better than in seasons past. For this defense, if the secondary is its weakest link, the Bolts' edge rushers are the team’s strongest.

Despite another injury-plagued season, Joey Bosa had a strong statistical effort in the nine games that he played during the 2023 season. Totaling 14 solo tackles, six assists, six and a half sacks and a fumble recovery, the former Buckeye can certainly still be a disruptive presence off the edge.

Khalil Mack was the real anchor of this defense’s pressure campaign during last year’s lost season, proving that the linebacker is not yet slowing down even though he is in his early 30s. Mack’s 74 tackles, 17 assists and 17 sacks should give the team real hope that, with this new defensive scheme, he will be just as productive as last year.

But it is second-year Tuli Tuipulotu who may yet provide the Bolts with the brightest future at the edge. His 37 solo tackles, 25 run stops and 4.5 sacks in a down year for the team in 2023 shows a ton of potential that new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter should have a field day developing.

To top it off, the team added veteran Bud Dupree during the offseason to add even more versatility and veteran leadership to a stacked roster of players that can be explosive off the edge and decimate OLs across the league.

The potential of these four men should certainly cause nightmares for offensive coordinators in the AFC West as well as the rest of the league as the L.A. Chargers head to camp.

2. Offensive Line

Repairing this offensive line to protect quarterback Justin Herbert has clearly been the primary focus of the team since Jim Harbaugh became the head coach and Joe Hortiz became the general manager in January. And with good reason.

Over the last two seasons, Herbert has suffered significant injuries due to the line’s inability to protect their franchise. In 2022, Herbert suffered broken ribs at a Thursday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs and this past season, the o-line led to Herbert breaking his left finger and then his right finger, ending Herbert and the team’s season.

So how did the team address this need? By drafting a potential generational talent on the offensive line in left tackle Joe Alt with the fifth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Alt is expected to join the right side as a tackle for the team.

The team also signed former Ravens and Panthers center Bradley Bozeman to replace their star center Corey Linsley, who was forced to retire due to an underlying heart condition.

With star LT Rashawn protecting Herbert’s blindside and a pairing that projects to have Zion Johnson and Trey Pipkins at left and right guard, respectively, and with a planned strong running attack, the offensive line has the potential to rebound from the criticism of their failures the past two seasons.

The team clearly knows that if it is going to have any chance this season, it must protect the quarterback. This unit has improved and appears to be quite strong as we head to training camp.

3. Quarterback

Justin Herbert is the franchise of the Chargers, that fact is not in doubt. But there has been an open question of whether or not Herbert is truly elite. Now is the chance for Herby and the team to prove that the massive contract that the team gave to their QB just one year ago, is justified.

Herbert has all the measurables that you would want from your quarterback. He is a massive human being physically; he has a strong arm and generally strong decision-making. The biggest question around Herbert now is not Justin himself, but rather the pieces around him.

Even with a down year last year, and with Herbert’s injuries referenced above, 2023 was still a good year for Number 10. In 13 games, he threw for over 3100 yards, 20 touchdowns and only seven interceptions for a QBR of 93.2. During his four seasons, Herbert has never had a QBR of less than 90.

With the expected strong focus on the run game that will take place in this new Greg Roman offense, Herbert should be better protected and have stronger pass opportunities through play-action plays.

Yes, there remain questions about the options that Justin will have to throw to, but the scheme will protect him,and it should make Justin Herbert’s 2024 season far superior to his 2023 one. Perhaps then, the league will find out that the Bolts QB is truly elite.

The 2024 offseason for the Chargers has finally reached its end. Training camp will open this Wednesday from the team’s brand-new HQ, The Bolt. It is an exciting time for fans of the team and there are scores of reasons for real hope going forward.

These three positions will be key stories to watch as they will prove to be the backbone of what fans all hope will be an exciting season to come. Here we go.

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