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COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers open 2022 NFL training camp on Wednesday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex. Here’s a closer look at a few storylines.

The player with the most to prove is … quarterback Justin Herbert: That’s somewhat difficult to declare given Herbert’s talent and production through two seasons has placed him among the NFL’s elite. As a second-year pro in 2021, Herbert’s 65.6 total QBR ranked third in the league behind only Aaron Rodgers (69.1) and Tom Brady (68.1). He passed for an eye-popping 5,014 yards (ranked second behind Brady) and 38 touchdown passes (third behind Brady’s 43 and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s 41).

But this season, with a stacked roster on both sides of the football, the No. 6 overall pick in 2020 must prove that his superior statistics can translate to wins and the franchise’s first playoff appearance since the 2018 season.

Most impactful offseason addition … is impossible to sum up with one name, so let’s pick two: Outside linebacker Khalil Mack and cornerback J.C. Jackson. The Chargers commanded headlines in March when they acquired Mack from the Chicago Bears, then signed free-agent cornerback Jackson to a five-year, $82.5 million deal with $40 million guaranteed a few days later.

A three-time All-Pro with 76.5 sacks in eight seasons who was acquired in exchange for a second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick, Mack will line up opposite of Pro Bowl edge rusher Joey Bosa, who has 58 sacks in six seasons, to create one of most-feared pass-rushing duos in the league. And Jackson provides serious ball-hawking skills, as his 25 interceptions since the New England Patriots signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2018 are the most in the NFL. With Jackson’s presence, the Bolts will be expected to improve from their 21 takeaways (ranked 17th) in 2021 and get the ball back in Herbert’s hands more often.

Training camp will be a success if… the Chargers sign All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. to a contract extension: The Chargers have several of the NFL’s top defensive playmakers firmly under contract, including Bosa, Mack and Jackson. Next up, James.

The 17th overall pick in 2018, James is entering the fifth and final season of his rookie deal and is scheduled to earn $9 million in 2022. A key presence in coach Brandon Staley’s defense given his versatility, playmaking skills and leadership, the Chargers must secure the future of the All-Pro safety before the season gets underway.

Despite playing only five games in 2019 because of a foot injury and sitting out the entirety of the 2020 season because of a knee injury, James has established himself among the league’s best safeties with five career interceptions, 19 pass deflections, three forced fumbles and 5.5 sacks. His continued effort will be crucial to the improvement of a Chargers defense that gave up 27.0 points per game in 2021, which ranked 29th in the league.

As NFL training camps swing into action, NFL Nation looks at the top storylines and offers a prediction for each team.
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Fiercest fantasy-relevant battle … Who will back up Austin Ekeler? Ekeler is the Bolts’ go-to running back after scoring 20 touchdowns and gaining 1,558 all-purpose yards in 2021. But who will be next in line for carries behind him?

The Chargers utilized a fourth-round pick to select Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller, who Staley described as a complete back with an ability not only as a runner but as a pass-catcher. Spiller’s addition sets up a competition with third-year pro Joshua Kelley, a former fourth-round pick who has yet to establish himself as a solid No. 2 option after rushing for 102 yards on 33 carries last season. Second-year pro Larry Rountree III, who rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries in 2021, also will compete for touches.

Camp prediction: Spiller will prove himself as potential weapon on offense, earning more than just backup carries behind Ekeler. Rookie running backs can often be slow to ingratiate themselves in an offense at the pro level because of pass protection. However, that might not be the case for Spiller. “He’s an excellent pass protector,” Staley said, referencing his time at Texas A&M. “Mentally, he was responsible for a lot there. He was a three-down back.” Pass protection, along with Spiller’s instincts as a runner and hands as a pass-catcher, will enable him to earn playing time early.

COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers commanded attention at the outset of the offseason.

They acquired All-Pro outside linebacker Khalil Mack from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a second-round pick this year and a 2023 sixth-round pick. Then the Bolts signed Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson to a whopping five-year, $82.5 million contract in free agency.

But a star-studded streak of activity came to a halt on the opening night of the NFL draft when the Chargers used their first-round pick, No. 17 overall, to select a guard.

“Guards are people too, right?” Tom Telesco asked, grinning, in a rhetorical question following the opening round of his 10th NFL draft as Chargers general manager.

After making the high-profile initial offseason moves to improve a defense that ranked No. 29 in the NFL last season and allowed an average of 27 points per game, the Chargers selected Boston College guard Zion Johnson with their first pick in the draft, prioritizing protection for third-year quarterback Justin Herbert and a need to keep their offense moving.

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“I know it’s not the sexiest pick in the world, but he’s tough, he’s durable, he’s smart,” Telesco said about Johnson, who is anticipated to step in immediately at right guard. “We have some excellent skill players, both at receiver, tight end, also at running back and with Justin Herbert.

“Obviously, these guys cannot do their jobs without a rock-solid offensive line. As much as this pick is to protect our quarterback, which is a big part of it, this is also to facilitate everybody else. It’s pass protection, it’s run game.”

It’s not just that the Chargers’ first pick wasn’t that exciting, their entire draft didn’t warrant headlines. And it also didn’t yield the exact results for which the general manager hoped.

“It never goes perfect, because you can’t control everything,” Telesco said. “But it was a good weekend of work.”

However, in a season with playoff expectations after a near-miss in 2021 extended a three-year postseason drought, the Bolts were able to quietly address several areas of need, including the offensive and defensive lines, running back and the secondary.

“From the last game that we played ’til now, we’re certainly a much different-looking football team,” said Brandon Staley, whose first season as coach resulted in a 9-8 record and third-place AFC West finish. “There’s a lot of time between now and when we play, so we’re always going to be trying to find that winning edge, but I really like the team we have in front of us now.”

The Bolts selected eight players after entering the three-day event with 10 total picks. Two of their picks, both seventh-round selections, ended up with the Bears, as the Chargers traded them to re-acquire the 2023 sixth-round pick they sent to Chicago as part of the Mack trade.

The Chargers selected guard Jamaree Salyer in the sixth round to join Johnson on the offensive line. The Georgia product has experience playing all five positions on the line, and although he said some teams projected him as a right tackle, the Chargers have penciled him in as an interior player.

“He has a great makeup, great attitude to come in and try and win a job,” Telesco said about the NCAA national champion.

The Bolts used a fourth-round pick on Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller, whose rushing and pass-catching abilities are expected to complement Austin Ekeler. Staley said safety Derwin James Jr. vouched for Spiller “in a big way” as another former player of coach Jimbo Fisher, who coached James at Florida State and Spiller at A&M.

“[James] was saying, ‘You know that if you can play all three downs for Jimbo that you’re a legit guy,'” Staley explained. “He has really good instincts.”

Spiller led the SEC in rushing yards since 2019, which includes a conference-best 1,844 rushing yards after contact in that span.

The Chargers also added Purdue fullback Zander Horvath in the seventh round.

Defensively, the Bolts built depth in their secondary by selecting Baylor safety JT Woods in the third round.

“He’s a safety with a lot of cover ability, with his length and his speed,” Telesco said. “He shows a little bit of corner movement, so we kind of see him as a defensive back.”

They also picked Wake Forest cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor and Mississippi cornerback Deane Leonard in the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively.

The Chargers also drafted UCLA defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia in the fifth round to join a defensive front that already has undergone a significant makeover with the addition of defensive tackles Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson in free agency. Like Ogbonnia, Joseph-Day doesn’t have to travel far, as he was with the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams last season.

“We look at lot closer to what I expect to look like,” Staley said about the interior of the defensive line. “We’re not there yet, but we’re a lot closer.”

Some questions remain as the Chargers continue the offseason program and look ahead to training camp.

Despite adding two offensive linemen, there remains no clear starter at right tackle. Storm Norton and Trey Pipkins III will again be among candidates to fill the spot.

And depth continues to be a concern on the edge behind Mack, Joey Bosa and second-year man Chris Rumph II.

“To kind of fill out the depth of that position, we’re going to have to look elsewhere,” Staley said. “Whether it’s the undrafted free agency right now or veteran free agency or before the first game — sometime during training camp — that’ll probably happen at one of those three junctures.”

As Staley prepared to exit his post-draft news conference, he provided a reminder the work is ongoing.

“Today is an ending, tomorrow is a beginning,” he said.

Sometimes it’s flashy. Sometimes, as seen during a three-day draft stretch, it’s less than glamorous.

But if all goes as planned, each phase will play its part in making the Chargers relevant again come late January.

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Looking for the hottest trend in NFL circles? Try … teams taking advantage of their young-but-elite quarterback’s still relatively manageable rookie contract.

Exhibit A: the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert.

“It’s not just enough to outscore people in this league,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said at last week’s NFL owners’ meetings. “You’ve got to win in a lot of different ways in this league. It’s not just surrounding [Herbert] with offensive weapons; it’s surrounding him with a complete team, where the pressure isn’t on him every single game to score 35 [points], to throw for 350 [yards], you know, to bring you back. And I think that’s what we’re trying to do is surround Justin and all of our players with a complete team.”

And you have to be able to afford said pieces, right?

So with Herbert, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2020 draft, entering Year 3 of his four-year, $26.5-plus million contract, the Chargers were able to go after big names with just-as-big price tags. And primarily on the defensive side of the ball.

First, the Chargers acquired edge rusher Khalil Mack from the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick in this year’s draft and a sixth-rounder in 2023. The deal was agreed to March 10 and made official on March 16, the first day of the new league year. Mack has been an All-Pro performer in eight seasons with the Raiders and the Bears, registering six sacks in seven games last season and a career-high 12.5 in 2018 in Chicago when Staley was his outside linebackers coach.

“That’s going to be a fun guy to play with,” Mack said of Herbert. “He has a lot of different intangibles. Not just from a football aspect, but just the mindset. Just watching that mindset from afar, I’ve kind of admired it. I admire his mindset more so than his play.”

Los Angeles converted $13.5 million of Mack’s salary into a bonus and created $9 million in salary cap space, setting the stage for the rest of the week.

Because on March 14, the Chargers got defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day to change SoFi Stadium locker rooms, convincing the former Los Angeles Rams nose tackle to agree to a three-year, $24 million free-agent contract with $15 million guaranteed. Joseph-Day had three sacks in seven games last season before suffering a torn pectoral in early November, though he returned for the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI triumph.

And a day after that, the Chargers reached a deal to sign cornerback J.C. Jackson to a five-year, $82.5 million deal with $40 million guaranteed, as well as defensive lineman Austin Johnson to a two-year, $14 million contract with $10.625 million guaranteed. Jackson has a league-best 25 interceptions since entering the league in 2018 and his eight interceptions in 2021 were one more than the Chargers had as a team.

“Football,” Herbert said last season, “is a three-phase game.”

Even if the Chargers were defense-heavy in free agency … ostensibly to help Herbert. And without Herbert’s still-affordable contract, it probably wouldn’t have been possible.

Especially not in an AFC West that saw the Denver Broncos land quarterback Russell Wilson, the Las Vegas Raiders acquire receiver Davante Adams and the six-time defending division champion Kansas City Chiefs trade away receiver Tyreek Hill but sign JuJu Smith-Schuster.

“I think what you’re seeing right now is competition in the NFL,” Staley said. “I think it’s amazing for the NFL. You’re seeing all these teams make these types of moves and I think that’s what the NFL represents is, ‘Hey, you better be working to make your team as good as you can be or you’re going to get left behind.'”