Popper has Tre Harris starting alongside Mike Williams and Ladd McConkey in three-wide sets, bringing up the possibility of moving KeAndre Lambert-Smith on to the field when they “need more speed.” None of this sets up especially well for Johnston, the last pick of the Tom Telesco regime. He improved last year with a 55/711/8 receiving line, but he may be fighting for one of the last spots on the roster this year if everyone makes it through training camp without an injury. Harris getting early buzz as a starter is interesting too, though we expect the Chargers to run plenty of two-wide sets.

Hortiz discussed the Chargers’ need to find an impactful boundary wide receiver to pair with star slot receiver Ladd McConkey. When discussing specific traits that the player must possess, Hortiz highlighted the ability to gain separation from a defender and the importance of working the “vertical stem.” He also explained that size was not viewed as a critical factor for the role and that there are “different sizes and profiles of each guy.” Hortiz also adds that they view this class as being deep, saying, “if I showed you our board, you would say, ‘Wow, they got a lot of options.’” Although the Chargers have Mike Williams and Quentin Johnston in-house, Popper believes Williams cannot be relied upon due to his “age and injury history.” Johnston has failed to meet expectations since being drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft’s first round and is perhaps best suited to a No. 3 role as a post-catch producer, rather than operating as the primary perimeter field-stretcher.

Johnston was bullied by Houston’s physical cornerbacks and appeared to be nicked up a couple times. Johnston had a tremendous bounce back campaign following his catastrophic, error-filled rookie campaign in 2023. Head coach Jim Harbaugh helped to instil confidence in the former star wideout from TCU on his way to 55 catches, 711 yards, and eight touchdowns over 15 games (Johnston battled various injuries in the second half of the season). At 18 air yards per reception in the regular season, Johnston profiled as a volatile big play fantasy option, and would seem likely to resume that role in 2025. He could be a sneaky late-round option who will be the distant No. 2 receiver in LA behind Ladd McConkey.

Both skill position players came into the weekend listed as questionable but will ultimately suit up for the visiting Chargers, who look for an elusive road playoff win Saturday against the Texans. The Chargers will roll out a backfield consisting of Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Hassan Haskins, with notable free agent addition Ezekiel Elliott watching from the sidelines after joining the team five days ago. Johnston will likely be tasked with additional volume after setting career highs in receptions and yards in Week 18 in the absence of Joshua Palmer.