The Los Angeles Chargers depth chart at wide receiver is baren late in the NFL offseason after head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz cut Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen. With wide receiver now one of the biggest Chargers draft needs, the team might finally be looking to NFL free agency.
Los Angeles has one of the NFL’s worst receiving corps right now, with Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston penciled in as the top pass-catchers for quarterback Justin Herbert. While Palmer is a solid No. 3 receiver and a new regime still has confidence in Johnston, the supporting cast isn’t enough to help Herbert.
- Tyler Boyd stats 2023: 67 receptions, 667 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns
Related: Tyler Boyd receiving interest from four Super Bowl contenders
Even for an offense expected to be run-heavy this fall, Los Angeles knows it needs more than just youth at the position. So, while the Chargers will tap into the extensive depth at wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, it appears the club is at least exploring a veteran option to help Herbert and bring experience into the receivers’ room for 2024.
Mark Kaobly of The Athletic reports that the Chargers have expressed preliminary interest in wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Better yet for Los Angeles, there’s a little less competition than before as the mutual interest between Boyd and the Pittsburgh Steelers has reportedly fizzled.
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- Tyler Boyd career stats: 513 receptions, 6,000 receiving yards, 11.7 yards per reception, 31 touchdowns, 301 first downs on 753 targets
While the other clubs interested in Boyd would offer him a better opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl, Los Angeles is uniquely positioned to offer him the biggest volume of targets in 2024.
Examining potential impact of Tyler Boyd on Los Angeles Chargers offense
Boyd, who turns 30 in November, is certainly no longer the player who recorded consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2018-’19. However, over the last three years, he’s averaged 752.3 receiving yards and 64 receptions per season.
Related: NFL insider reveals two options Los Angeles Chargers considering at No. 5
As far as Boyd’s advanced stats, he posted a 6.4 average depth of target (aDOT) last season per PlayerProfiler.com, which ranked 94th among wide receivers. Boyd was a designated slow receiver in Cincinnati, recording the second-most snaps in the slot (635) with a 76.7 percent slot rate.
Boyd’s 85.9 percent ratch rate ranked 77th in the NFL last year, but he did drop just 2 passes. What he would provide Los Angeles is a security option for Herbert, providing him with someone to hit on quick throws. Considering the Michigan Wolverines offense under Jim Harbaugh utilized the short and intermediate areas, that could make Boyd an even better fit for the Chargers’ play-calling under Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
