Power ranking the top 20 players on the Chargers roster after brutal Week 1 loss

Well, this isn't the way I wanted to start this series. Every week throughout the 2026 season, we will pick apart the LA Chargers roster with one goal in mind: power-ranking the top 20. It would have been more fun to do these after a win instead of a brutal loss.

The rankings will be decided by a mixture of factors. The overall talent baseline is important as we do not want to rank the 47th man on the roster in the top five if they have one good showing. However, what the players do in the games themselves actually do matter. If Justin Herbert isn't cutting it, well, he isn't guaranteed a permanent spot atop the rankings.

For all my wrestling fans out there, the inspiration for this weekly series was the power rankings WWE.com use to put together after a week of television programming. The main difference here is that these rankings are based on a sport that isn't pre-scripted. If it were, we would have scripted the Chargers to win.

Power ranking the top 20 Chargers:

There's a lot of opportunity to climb in this section of the power rankings. Rookie first-round pick Akheem Mesidor is the biggest candidate to climb up the rankings as he gets acquainted in the NFL. Mesidor recorded one quarterback pressure and was relatively quiet otherwise, but has the potential to put up great numbers as a rookie.

Left guard Kayode Awosika could also climb far up this list if he continues his strong play. Awosika also needs his own coaching staff to get out of his way and stop platooning him at left guard with Trey Pipkins. Awosika has earned the full-time left guard job for the time being.

Out of everyone in this section, the Chargers need Quentin Johnston and Tre' Harris to climb the rankings. Not because other players slipped, but because they need more out of their secondary pass-catching weapons. The passing offense can't be all Ladd McConkey like it was in Week 1.

10. David Njoku

Is it surprising to see David Njoku crack the top 10 after one game with the Chargers? Yes, it is. This is indicative of the state of the Chargers roster, where the Bolts are desperately waiting for multiple people to break out of that 11-20 group.

Njoku had the most catches of anyone not named Ladd McConkey and had the now forgettable highlight of catching a deflection at the line of scrimmage and picking up a first down. For a Chargers team that lacked gusto in Week 1, Njoku's hard play was a breath of fresh air.

Njoku shouldn't rank in the top 10 if the Chargers roster is firing on all cylinders. But after one week, it's hard to put anyone else in his place.

9. Cameron Dicker

Cameron Dicker made the two PATs he attempted on Sunday and that was the extent of his day. Los Angeles did not try a field goal after turning the ball over on downs on fourth and goal, giving Dicker a relatively quiet day at the office.

Still, his place in the top 10 is secured, as he is one of the most accurate kickers in the entire NFL. Dicker is the most reliable kicker to wear the powder blue since Nate Kaeding, who was only reliable in the regular season before completely falling apart in the postseason.

That being said, Dicker had several uncharacteristic misses in the preseason that gave Chargers fans some pause. Hopefully, Dicker was just getting those misses out of his system in games that did not matter. If it becomes a trend in the regular season, Dicker is in trouble.

8. Omarion Hampton

Omarion Hampton started his 2026 campaign off strong. Hampton punched in an eight-yard touchdown to put a stamp on Mike McDaniel's first drive as Chargers offensive coordinator. It looked like it was going to be a great sign of things to come.

Hampton then fumbled on the very next drive and spent the rest of the game as an afterthought. The Chargers couldn't get the run game going at all, giving Hampton a final stat line of 43 yards on 12 carries.

The ceiling is obviously there with Hampton. He is an uber-athletic, hard-nosed runner who can make people miss and bulldoze right through them. But he is only as good as his offensive system. On paper, McDaniel is the coach to maximize him, but Sunday's game left a lot to be desired.

7. Khalil Mack

Khalil Mack recorded two pressures against Jacoby Brissett but could never get home for a sack. This was the story of the Chargers' defense in Week 1, as the Bolts didn't get as much pressure as they could with the coverage behind the defensive line leaving plenty to be desired.

As great of a career as Mack has had to this point, it's hard to see him climbing much higher than he currently ranks in these power rankings. That's not even a bad thing, as Mack shouldn't be one of the four best players on the roster at this stage in his career.

Mack still plays a very important role on the Chargers and with the Raiders on the docket in Week 2, there's a real chance he has another huge game. The Chargers need the rest of the roster to step up and ensure Mack's efforts don't go to waste.

6. Tuli Tuipulotu

Tuli Tuipulotu should be the highest-rated defensive player in these power rankings. He isn't the biggest name on the defense but he was the best player on that side of the ball last season. After Week 1, though, he slides down to the second-best defensive player on the team.

That's not to say Tuipulotu had an awful game, he did record a team-leading three pressures and proved that he is the best pass rusher on the team. At 23 years old, the arrow is still firmly pointing up.

There is one confounding variable, though. New defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary dropped Tuipulotu in coverage far too much for my liking. Tuipulotu was dropped into coverage eight times. That's eight reps where O'Leary thought Tuipulotu was better in zone coverage than he was rushing the quarterback.

Jacoby Brissett is not a risk to run the football, making this decision even more baffling. O'Leary needs to clean that up and let Tuli do Tuli things.

5. Derwin James

Derwin James didn't have his greatest day in coverage, but he did lead the team with 10 total tackles as the heartbeat of the secondary. This is a case where James' track record earns him a post in the top five, as he wasn't one of the five, let alone 10, best players on the Chargers on Sunday.

Many assumed James would take on the Trey McBride-stopper role as he has done in the past with other top-tier tight ends. That was not the case at all, as McBride had a great game while the Cardinals marched down the field.

James' impact is always felt in key moments. While he has coverage lapses that can show up on film, he also has far too many highlights on key downs where he gets to the quarterback, breaks up a pass, or makes a bit hit in space.

James didn't have any of that on Sunday, but who knows, if Elijah Molden doesn't break up James' interception in the red zone, maybe this entire article has a different tone.

4. Joe Alt

Joe Alt had an excellent showing in his return to right tackle. It's the first time Alt has played right tackle since the 2024 season, as he was exclusively the left tackle in 2025. The third-year tackle didn't allow a single pressure on Herbert.

Alt is made to be a left tackle and there is a case to be made that the best version of himself is on the other side of the line. That's not to say he is bad on the right side, though, as he is still one of the best young right tackles in the entire sport.

Arizona doesn't have a great pass rush, so the real test will come in Week 2 when Maxx Crosby comes to town. It will be a good tune-up for Alt and the offensive line, who have to prepare for some truly scary pass rushes in the following weeks.

3. Ladd McConkey

Ladd McConkey was the most productive player on the field on Sunday. Herbert targeted him three times in the opening drive to march down the field as fantasy owners rejoiced at the ceiling of McConkey playing in a McDaniel offense.

Then it was quiet for McConkey until his touchdown reception, which was an absolute dart from Herbert on the goal line. McConkey was back in the fold and it appeared Herbert was going to start leaning heavily on him in the passing game... then the hospital ball came.

Herbert left McConkey out to dry with a ball in the middle of the field that leveled his third-year wideout. McConkey left the game with a rib injury and his status for Week 2 is now reportedly up in the air.

2. Justin Herbert

Herbert wasn't very good in Week 1. It wasn't a disastrous showing by any stretch of the imagination but it certainly didn't live up to the standards we all have for Herbert as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

But then again, it feels like we see this kind of performance from Herbert more often than we don't, given the expectations we have for him. Maybe it's time to adjust the expectations. We need more of a sample size before we do, though.

Herbert's worst moment came on a deep ball to Derius Davis, where he threw into double coverage for an interception. That essentially put the game on ice as the offense never looked comfortable from that point forward.

And that's just the problem. If Herbert is an elite quarterback, he should outduel Brissett, even if the stars aren't perfectly aligned on any given Sunday. Truly elite quarterbacks don't need everything to break their way to have good games against inferior opponents.

More showings like this and Herbert will tumble down the rankings.

1. Rashawn Slater

Rashawn Slater started at left tackle for the first time in 20 months and you would've never guessed it. Slater looked exactly how we all remember in his return to the lineup after missing the entire 2025 season with an injury.

Slater actually allowed two quarterback pressures, which is more than Alt allowed in his return to right tackle. However, Slater was also clearly the best run blocker on the entire line as evidenced by his Pro Football Focus grade. Slater received an 87.4 run-blocking grade while no other player on the offensive line received above a 65.

Sure, Alt technically had the better game protecting the quarterback and he might surpass Slater as the more reliable tackle by year's end. But it was still a great showing for Slater, who has the track record built in as one of the best left tackles in the entire sport when healthy.

After one week, he sits atop the throne on our LA Chargers power rankings.

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