Los Angeles Chargers 2023 Preview: One Of The Best Rosters In Football

The Chargers’ roster, top to bottom, is staggering to look at when you consider their playoff success. Injuries have plagued this team, so on most weeks, the roster typically wasn’t too great, however. In addition, Brandon Staley has been quite a mediocre head coach. The culture he’s established is soft, and he doesn’t get the best out of his players. With that said, he is an excellent defensive mind, which I’ll further discuss later. A Super Bowl is still in the cards with the talent here, paired with an ascending star QB. It’ll just take some good fortune. This is a team that’s experienced injury problems practically every year. I expect that to remain the same, although I can still foresee this team making the playoffs because of the immense talent on this roster.

The Los Angeles front office had a quiet offseason, as Eric Kendricks was the only significant acquisition. They also made some impactful resigns, but not much besides that. Quentin Johnston slipped in the draft, and LA took advantage of it, which could pay passive dividends in a few years. He has bust potential but could very well boom playing with Justin Herbert. Daiyan Henley was another draft prospect they stole and could fill a significant void for LA a year from now. LA lost a few starters, but ultimately they didn’t get worse. It’ll essentially be the same team, plus some additions from injury.

Reportedly, Sean Payton was interested in joining the Chargers, but the front office wasn’t interested in the asking price. This decision could genuinely cost this team a Super Bowl. With someone like Herbert, it would be worth it to go after someone like Payton. It would not only establish a significantly better culture, but it would take this offense to the next level. The only thing that could compete with Mahomes and Reid is another elite head coach-QB duo. Staley could win a super bowl, but it’ll take miraculous circumstances. With Payton, they could’ve easily won multiple. This will still be an outstanding team. I just think LA missed out on something special.

I watched all-22 footage on every team and reconciled it with advanced stats such as PFF. Based on film and stats, I develop grades for every position by using a formula that takes into account every player on the depth chart. Shout out to TFG for inspiring this kind of content. Please use code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.

Key

Grading scale: 20-100.

(+): The player is expected to improve.

Player Tiers:

Team Overview

Coaching Staff

Brandon Staley became a polarizing figure quickly after becoming the head coach for the Chargers. He became known as an ultra-aggressive game manager but has slightly backed off. Staley may have eased off the over-aggressiveness, but he’s still far behind some of these other coaches. Blowing a massive lead in the playoffs primarily falls on the head coach. When you have an enormous lead, you must establish a run game which he failed to do. Besides being too aggressive, there are a lot of other calls that leave you scratching your head. Staley isn’t so poor as a head coach that it’ll prevent them from winning, but he isn’t the ideal coach to lead this amount of talent to a Super Bowl.

As a defensive mind, he has proved he knows what he’s doing. He runs a 3-4 Fangio-style defense but differs from the average Fangio disciple. I loved how he changed his defensive coverage scheme mid-way through the year. He also bought into blitzing much more, ranking eighth in blitz percentage. Similar to Fangio, he runs a decent amount of cover-two and cover-one. Later in the year, he ran an excellent variety of coverages. He also isn’t afraid to have his Corners press. The defense saw a dramatic change when he shied away from cover four and cover six. It’s lovely to see him have this foresight as a head coach. Derrick Ansley is also here to add insight and has an intriguing background. He worked with Nick Saban and Mike Vrabel, two brilliant football minds. The two of them should make for excellent defensive coaching.

Kellen Moore caught my attention early in his career as a coach. He was known for being among the greatest college players ever but never had the arm to make it into the pros. Reportedly, Moore had been drawing up plays as a child. Moore is only 35 years old and is headed in a positive direction. He showed promise early on as a play-caller and has continued to come up with new innovative plays. His inexperience undoubtedly showed at times, but I feel Dallas fans have put too much blame on him. It’ll also be interesting to see what he’s like without McCarthy bringing down his neck. He’ll have full control of the offense, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him step up and get a head coaching gig.

His offense is a modern pro-spread scheme. It was primarily a run-heavy offense in Dallas, but I’d imagine the passing game would open up more in LA. The run scheme is very balanced as we see inside zone, counters, power runs, and various other runs. Moore showed a lot of creativity in his passing concepts and knew how to attack the whole field. Additionally, he makes excellent use of motion. It’s a balanced offense with west coast principles. Moore still has much to prove, but you feel great about him as the OC.

Chargers Offense

Overall Offense – 84.4 (7)

This will be one of the most dynamic and explosive offenses in football. In addition to the weapons, Justin Herbert is the perfect franchise QB. If there’s any reason this team can win a Super Bowl, it’s Herbert. His arm talent is on par with some of the greatest arms ever. Additionally, he has deadly precision, especially on deep balls. When he can also escape the pocket and cause damage with his legs, he can be an impeccable force at times. An injury hindered him last season, but he looked elite when he was fully healthy. I’m excited to see Johnston in this offense, as he can be a dominant vertical threat with Herbert. Playing next to two stars and with Herbert, Johnston likely doesn’t fail here.

Mike Williams is an elite contested catch target with excellent chemistry with Hebert. Keenan Allen will get to play solely in the Slot and should have an impressive season. He is aging, but his savviness as a route runner likely doesn’t leave him. Gerald Everett is another quality-receiving target to rely on. Next to him is Donald Parham Jr., who’s an exceptional number two Tight End. The depth at Receiver isn’t great, but the starters have plenty of talent. Austin Ekeler is a bit overrated but has undeniable talent as a receiving back. If he gets hurt, the depth is worrisome, so he must stay healthy.

Moreover, the O-Line is another group you feel good about. The right side is a bit questionable, but they are set from Center to Left Tackle. Rashawn Slater is vastly underrated, and his absence made a significant difference. He’ll return from a torn Bicep, but I think he’ll be ready immediately. Slater may be undersized but has world-class quickness and remarkable strength to compensate. Zion Johnson had a rough year in pass-pro but was still a quality run blocker. I’d bet he improves and quickly becomes a stud player.

Corey Linsley is an all-pro for a reason. He’s coming off an elite year in pass-pro. His toughness and tenaciousness also aid him in the run game. Jamaree Salyer had an impressive rookie campaign but wasn’t an imposing run blocker. Trey Pipkins isn’t exactly a liability but is ideally a swing tackle. He may get the team in trouble in some weeks. Altogether, this line will certainly get the job done.

Chargers Defense

Overall Defense – 82.1 (6)

While not quite as loaded as the offense, the defense is in fantastic shape. J.C. Jackson is returning, although he’s coming off a down season. I expect him to turn things around, as he’s still fairly young. His ball skills are elite despite his size. Asante Samuel Jr. looked outstanding at times last year. He isn’t ideal for pressing but has incredible athleticism and instincts. Michael Davis must step up this year, as there are no other good Corners to play nickel. I’m genuinely concerned about who’ll play the Dime Back role here. There’s neither a third safety nor a fourth Corner you feel good about.

LA at least has Derwin James, an elite Safety who impacts run defense like none other at his position. Although, the other Safety spot is a question mark. Alohi Gilman is the listed starter, but I project JT Woods to play because of his upside in coverage. Woods may be a massive liability or could thrive with the talent around him. This secondary will be great if everyone is healthy, but that’s a lot to count on.

Moreover, the linebacking room is in better shape than last year, primarily due to the Eric Kendricks signing. Kendricks isn’t like his old self but is a terrific leader and will be a considerable upgrade. Additionally, Henley has a ton of potential and will be solid if he has to play in year one. Kenneth Murray can survive in coverage but is a borderline liability in the run game. Maybe playing next to Kendricks will allow him to grow, and he has a breakout year on a contract season. If that happened, this defense could easily take a step up with everyone healthy.

The D-Line here is unique and has one of the best EDGE duos in the AFC. Joey Bosa, who missed a lot of snaps last year, will be eager to have a massive season. His power and technique are top-notch. As discussed in “Ranking The Ten Best EDGEs In The NFL,” Bosa’s go-to move is a scissors move. Khalil Mack has suffered regression but is still a tremendous run defender and a good pass rusher. While he’s lost a step, he still has legit-grown man strength. I loved the Tuli Tuipilotu pick, as he can soon take over for Mack. His versatility is special and should be highly valuable to LA.

On the other hand, the interior will likely get gashed in run defense. Morgan Fox is the only guy who can consistently bring a pass-rush presence on the interior. Sebastion Joseph Day and Austin Johnson are serviceable, but it’s still a weakness for them. The depth on the interior is also poor, and we all know how common injuries are here. Run defense ultimately isn’t that important, and I think this defense will be fine. It’s just something to watch with some opponents.

Chargers Schedule

Total Win Projection – 9.5