The 2025 calendar year has been an interesting one for the LA Chargers. It started with a blowout playoff loss to the Houston Texans, ended with a back-breaking loss to the Texans that removed any chance at winning the AFC West, and included countless shocking strorylines in-between.
It's felt like five years inside one for Chargers fans but alas, the team got out of it with 11 more wins and another trip to the NFL Playoffs. And while there is one more week of the regular season, the New Year felt like an appropriate time to look at the top 10 players on the Chargers roster from 2025.
These rankings are based on production, not on raw talent. So just keep that in mind when you don't see Rashawn Slater on the list.
Ranking the 10 best Chargers from 2025:
10. Cameron Dicker
Look, we're going to give credit to Cameron Dicker here. The Chargers have an awful history of kickers and Dicker has been the most accurate kicker in NFL history for most of his career.
Yes, he did miss two kicks against the Houston Texans that would have completely changed the game, but that's not enough to exclude him from this list. Outside of that game, Dicker has been automatic this season and with a below-average kicker, there are multiple outcomes that would have been flipped this year.
9. Omarion Hampton
Overall production-wise, Omarion Hampton shouldn't be on this list. An ankle injury resulted in him missing most of the year, opening the door for Kimani Vidal to lead the team in rushing after not making the initial 53-man roster.
However, the offense has simply been different when Hampton is healthy and on the field. It's clear he has a ton of juice and has the tools to be a successful NFL running back for years to come if he can stay healthy.
The stars are aligned for Hampton to have a huge showing in the NFL Playoffs, which would likely put him even higher on this same list heading into next season.
8. Ladd McConkey
Ladd McConkey would be higher on this list if it was purely about talent. But when factoring in 2025 production, McConkey drops to a still respectable eight spot.
McConkey leads all Chargers pass catchers in yards. He's behind Keenan Allen in receptions and is behind Quentin Johnston in touchdowns. You could make a case for any of those three players to make this top-10 list, and quite frankly, it would be hard to argue against any of them. They've all made an impact in 2025.
But that was the entire point of bringing in Allen even after drafting Tre' Harris in the second round. The Chargers wanted to diversify their passing options and they certainly did that. As a result, the individual numbers for each receiver (but especially McConkey) have taken a hit. That's not a bad thing for the team, though.
7. Tarheeb Still
The Chargers have multiple cornerbacks who they trust in the secondary and it all revolves around Tarheeb Still. The second-year cornerback has been a revelation for the Bolts and has followed his breakout rookie season with another great year.
Still might not be a traditional CB1 and heck, you may even argue for other Chargers cornerbacks over him on this list. The Chargers legitimately have three great corners who all play different roles, and as the center of that trio, Still gets the nod on this top-10 list.
6. Odafe Oweh
Odafe Oweh didn't start the season with the Chargers, but he certainly made fans want to bring him back after the season. The Chargers' midseason trade pickup has been exceptional in his role as a rotational pass rusher, giving the Chargers one of the meanest trios of edge rushers in the league.
In terms of overall production, there might be a case to be made for some players below Oweh to be ranked above him. But the impact of the production, even if it came in a smaller sample size, has been impossible to ignore.
5. Derwin James
Derwin James is a unicorn. There isn't another player in the league who can do what James does on the Chargers' defense. His versatility to move around the defense and be a big-play hunter is what makes him one of the biggest fan favorites on the Chargers.
It was another solid season for James, although the holes in his game have gotten more apparent this year. As great as he has been as a havoc-creator, there have been some lapses in coverage as well as against the run that have burned the Chargers at points this season.
But to his credit, James already responds to a bad game with multiple excellent games. That's what lands him in the top five.
4. Khalil Mack
A scary arm injury in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders looked like it was going to end Khalil Mack's season, and potentially his NFL career. Thankfully, the injury wasn't as serious as it looked and Mack was able to return to make an impact on this Chargers defense.
Mack is no longer in his prime and that's okay. He is still an extremely impactful defensive player who helps set the tone for the entire Chargers defense. While he may be more on a snap count this season than in years past, his impact against both the run and pass is exactly what every NFL team wants out of its edge rushers.
As great as Mack has been this year, and as much of a household name that he is, he hasn't been the best edge rusher on the Bolts.
3. Tuli Tuipulotu
This may be controversial; it may not be. But after an incredible season in 2025, Tuli Tuipulotu has emerged as the best defensive player on the Chargers. There may be some big names that other fans would circle before Tuipulotu, but it's impossible to deny the impact the 2023 second-round pick has had.
Tuipulotu has been a legitimate game-wrecker for this Chargers defense and has only gotten better as the season has gone along. His 13 sacks heading into Week 18 lead the Chargers and are fifth in the entire NFL. His 70 pressures on Pro Football Focus puts him ninth among all edge rushers this season.
The best part? Tuipulotu is still only 23 years old and will only continue to improve. A big payday should be coming soon.
2. Joe Alt
Joe Alt played just six games this season and locked himself up as the second-best player on the Chargers in 2025. Heck, Alt was so good in those six games that he earned a Pro Bowl nod and is firmly established as one of the best tackles in the sport.
The real question is what happens in the future between he and Rashawn Slater. As elite as Slater is, Alt might be even better and he thrived at his natural left tackle spot. Do the Chargers move Slater to the right side? Do they kick Alt back to the right? Do they get really crazy and play Slater inside (probably not)?
It's a great problem for the Chargers to have. And in 2026, Alt will go from the second-best player on the Chargers to arguably the best tackle in the sport. Mark it.
1. Justin Herbert
Could it have been anyone else? Statistically, 2025 wasn't Justin Herbert's most impressive season but his value to this football team is unmatched. A large chunk of NFL quarterbacks would have cratered under the same weight Herbert had to bear this season; Herbert, instead, made the NFL Playoffs.
Unfortunately, the lack of eye-popping numbers will keep Herbert from getting the attention he deserves from national NFL media. The one way to get the rest of the country thinking like Chargers fans is by leading the Chargers on a deep playoff run against all odds.
That's the real test.