2. The LA Chargers' alternatives are not great
The one player that the LA Chargers should absolutely pay over Mike Williams is Davante Adams. However, as time as gone along, it is seeming more and more unlikely that Adams leaves Green Bay. At the very least, the Packers could try and franchise tag him then trade him to get something out of him.
If Adams does walk away in free agency then the Chargers would be probably the most intriguing destination for him. Of the teams with the cap space to spend on him, the Bolts have the best quarterback and most promising future.
Outside of Adams, though, the options are not great. Chris Godwin is the second-best receiver of the offseason but I would balk at paying him more than Williams with Godwin coming off of a torn ACL that he suffered late in the year. The other big-name options are Allen Robinson, Michael Gallup and Odell Beckham Jr. I would not pay any of those guys contracts close to Williams (which they will get in free agency).
Then we turn to the draft. Are there some good receivers in this draft? Yes. But this draft is not like the last two years, which were flooded with talented receivers. Plus, the Chargers have far too many needs to take a receiver in the first round. At the absolute earliest the team would take a receiver in the second round and that is probably too early as well.
Could the Chargers find a gem in the third round that comes in and produces what Williams does? Sure. But the chances of that happening in year one are slim and as much as fans talk themselves into every prospect the team takes, there is always the possibility of the pick just being a dud.
The Chargers cannot afford to regress with any of these options, for one particular reason.