3 positions Chargers could draft in first round of 2024 NFL Draft (and 2 to avoid)

Chargers shouldn't draft a wide receiver in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft

Some fans and analysts have pointed at this year's wide receiver room as all the evidence in the world to take another first-round wide receiver in 2024. After all, Mike Williams might not be on the team next year as a cap casualty and Keenan Allen isn't getting any younger.

With Quentin Johnston having a bust-worthy rookie season, it is fair to question this wide receiver room and be worried about what it will look like next season. While that is all fair and is a concern, the Chargers simply cannot afford to take another first-round wideout with the needs the team has.

Williams might end up being a cap casualty but it is hard to see the team letting Allen go after the season he is having. If anything, he might sign a 2-3 year extension to stay in LA longer and lower his cap hit. Sure, he is getting old, but if he is still producing at this level then the Chargers have to bring him back.

Joshua Palmer is also the forgotten-about player in this situation. Palmer's tendency to get hurt is definitely a concern but he looked like a legitimate, above-average WR2 when he was healthy. He can step up.

And as bad as Johnston has been, the Chargers are forced to believe in him and hope he can turn it around. After all, Williams had a very unproductive rookie season just like Johnston and he turned it around in his sophomore season.

The Chargers should still add depth and it would be surprising if a receiver wasn't taken at all in the 2024 NFL Draft. It just shouldn't happen in the first round.