It has become assumed that if a team hires Jim Harbaugh, he can turn that team into a winner. That has been true for the now playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers. But what may fly under the radar is his ability to recognize untapped potential at the tight-end position.
Tight ends have always factored heavily in Harbaugh’s offense, not just as blockers, but as top targets in the passing game. In his most successful years as a head coach, a tight end has been a go-to weapon, whether that was Vernon Davis with the San Francisco 49ers to Colston Loveland with the Michigan Wolverines.
Joining the Chargers meant an overhaul at the position. He cleared the deck of the existing players and brought in four new names to the roster — Hayden Hurst, Will Dissly, Stone Smartt, and Tucker Fisk, among others who didn’t make the cut.
What raised eyebrows was, that none of the above were considered among competent pass catchers. None of the above has ever caught more than 600 yards in a season.
Chargers Tight Ends Providing Unexpected Spark To Offense
This didn’t stop Harbaugh from putting those players into game plans as pass catchers. Despite missing two games, Will Dissly has the second-most receptions for the team. His 45 catches and 439 yards have surpassed his previous-best mark of 34 for 349 in 2022.
Bleacher Report credits Dissly’s return to the lineup as one of the reasons the Chargers offense looked better against the New England Patriots. They also highlighted Smartt’s performance in the game writing:
“Another tight end, Stone Smartt, has become a preferred target for Herbert. Over the last four games, the 26-year-old veteran caught 13 passes for 164 yards.”
Smartt got his first start of the year when Dissly was injured and proved to be a clutch pass catcher for Justin Herbert and Harbaugh. He has caught 16 passes on 19 targets for 208 yards and 11 first downs, mostly over the last four games. While he has yet to catch a touchdown, several of his first downs have come on high-leverage situations — keeping drives alive for the offense.
Harbaugh and the Chargers front office had to rebuild the team under tight financial constraints. As they head into the second season, they may seek to allocate more resources toward the position, with Hurst and Smartt hitting free agency.
Some have even mock-drafted Loveland to rejoin his Wolverine head coach in LA.
