Ladd McConkey was everything the Los Angeles Chargers could’ve hoped for—and more. The rookie wideout burst onto the scene in 2024, leading the team with 1,149 receiving yards, 82 catches, and seven touchdowns. In a year of offensive instability, McConkey gave Justin Herbert a consistent, high-IQ target who could win at every level of the field. And yet, as the Chargers head into 2025, one question looms large: Who’s going to help him?
New offensive coordinator Greg Roman has done his best to sell optimism. On the Chargers Weekly Podcast, he called the current wide receiver room “night and day” compared to a year ago, praising McConkey’s mental acumen and positional versatility. “We were able to do things with Ladd in Year 1 that you generally don’t do with a guy until Year 3 or 4,” Roman said. The plan for Year 2? Move McConkey all over the formation, scheme touches, and stress defenses with motion and misdirection.
But while McConkey feels like a known commodity, the rest of the room doesn’t.
Veteran Deference—or Desperation?
At OTAs, the team’s pecking order came into sharper focus—and surprised many. According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, the first-team offense consistently featured Quentin Johnston, Jalen Reagor, and McConkey as the primary trio catching passes from Justin Herbert. Popper noted that rookie Tre Harris “got limited reps” with Herbert and that the Chargers “continue to defer to the veteran receivers.”
Johnston, last year’s first-round pick, remains a tantalizing yet turbulent figure. Popper described his day as “up and down”—highlighted by a third-down conversion in 11-on-11s but also a bobbled out route that should’ve been caught. Reagor, a reclamation project from the Eagles and Vikings, saw two deep targets from Herbert—both fell incomplete.
The most consistent performer? McConkey, again. Popper noted his sharp slant win against Ja’Sir Taylor on third down and an explosive over-route reception off play-action. In short: the second-year standout still looks like WR1—and perhaps the only sure thing in the room.
A Room Full of “Ifs”
Behind McConkey, the picture is murky. Johnston has the physical tools but remains unreliable. Reagor has bounced around the league. Mike Williams is back in the building, but his durability—never a strength—remains a major question mark. Rookie additions like Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith may flash, but relying on mid-round rookies to deliver immediate impact is a risky bet.
Veteran Josh Palmer, who notched 584 yards in 2024, departed in free agency—another quiet subtraction from an already top-heavy unit.
Meanwhile, reports linking the Chargers to names like Terry McLaurin and Keenan Allen came and went without action. Los Angeles made a conscious decision not to chase a high-profile addition, choosing instead to develop from within. That puts the pressure squarely on players like Johnston to finally evolve into the downfield weapon he was drafted to be.
Bottom Line
L.A. talks like a team confident in its wide receiver room. But OTAs tell a more complicated story. The Chargers may still be hoping for answers more than they have them. And while McConkey continues to validate the hype, he may be looking around this fall wondering who’s coming with him.
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