The LA Chargers have one of the most talented rosters in the entire league. There are very few teams that have the star power that the Bolts do, making them one of the most interesting and intriguing teams as we head into the 2022 season.
On top of the star players that the Chargers have to offer, the team also has talent that is getting overlooked by the casual NFL audience. While Charger fans certainly know the value that every player brings to the team, there are players on the roster who are currently secrets in the grand scheme of things. The Bolts probably would like to keep it that way as well.
Here are the 3 best-kept secrets on the LA Chargers roster in 2022:
1. Tre' McKitty
Tre' McKitty is either the TE2 or TE3 depending on how the Chargers utilize the room this season. The tight end room is so deep in Los Angeles and it is truly one of the most overlooked positions on the roster. They may not have an elite tight end, but the room is as deep as it can be.
McKitty is getting perhaps the least amount of attention in that tight end room as his job is the one job that is not as glamorous. While he will still have some sort of impact in the passing game, McKitty's real value lies in his blocking ability, both in the passing and the running game.
McKitty already blocked at a really high level in his rookie season and he is only going to get better with more NFL reps under his belt. Having McKitty is huge for the Chargers as it allows the team to put him on the right side of the offensive line and help whoever does end up getting that starting job at right tackle.
2. Joshua Palmer
Joshua Palmer might not be a secret anymore considering we here at Bolt Beat are doing everything we can to get everyone on the Joshua Palmer breakout season train. All signs are pointing to Palmer having a great second season with the Bolts as the young receiver is getting praise from just about any teammate that is asked about him.
Palmer's overall numbers from his rookie season were not all that impressive but those that watched the games and re-watched the film know that there is something special there. Palmer started to come into his own more later in the season as Justin Herbert developed a greater trust in him. He is the runaway favorite to win the WR3 job and quite frankly, could post a 750-yard+ season in year two.
While it is a bit too soon to declare that Palmer is a future Pro Bowler because he has to make the leap from year one to year two first, it would not be surprising if he does blossom into one of the best 25 receivers in the league in the coming years.
He has just about every trait you would want in a receiver outside of elite speed and he is learning from two of the best in the game in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Palmer was already a very polished and smooth route runner coming out of college, playing behind Allen is only going to make him better.
Tom Telesco hit a home run in the third round in his first draft with the Chargers when he selected Allen in 2013. Perhaps Brandon Staley hit a home run in his first draft with the Chargers by selecting Joshua Palmer in the third round as well.
3. Austin Johnson
The LA Chargers made a lot of additions this offseason and the big names are obviously the first names to get mentioned. However, when you run down the list of players that the team brought in, the last name that people are likely to mention is defensive lineman Austin Johnson.
Johnson was not even the biggest name that the Chargers brought in on the interior defensive line, as the Bolts signed run-stuffer Sebastian Joseph-Day. Johnson is getting overlooked a bit and is not getting mentioned as part of this rebuilt defensive line that the Chargers have patched together.
That is a disservice to Johnson as he is going to add exactly what the team needs in his ability to defend the run. Sure, he might be limited as a pass-rusher but that is why the Chargers have pass-rushing depth options. When it comes to stopping the run, not many players in the NFL were better.
There were 19 interior defensive linemen who played 300 snaps against the run last season. Johnson ranked third among those players in run-stop percentage at 10.4% (Jerry Tillery ranked last). Of the 74 interior defensive linemen who played 200 snaps against the run, Johnson ranked 10th.
He stays on the field and he can stop the run. What more can the Chargers ask for? Helping him stay on the field is his ability to essentially line up anywhere in the interior. Brandon Staley can move him around the interior like a puzzle piece, which makes him extremely valuable.
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Johnson is not going to make a Pro Bowl and he is going to be a player that you don't think much about when you are watching the games. But at the root of it all, Johnson will be there making a tangible difference to the Chargers' defense.