In my view, the Los Angeles Chargers had a very good, but not spectacular 2019. Personally, I’d give it a B grade. This report will focus on the current state of the team with an emphasis on probable starters, and potential impact players.

QB: 37-year old Chargers QB Philip Rivers is one of the best of the business and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t have another very good season in 2019. While this is the final year of Rivers’ contract, it’s likely that the team extends him for another 2-3 years. In the draft, the Bolts looked to the future by selecting former North Dakota State QB Easton Stick in the 5^th round. Stick has reasonable size at 6-2, 222, and good speed running a 4.6 in the NFL combines. Has a strong arm and good pocket awareness. However, he sometimes forces the ball and tends to run prematurely. Will he be the Bolts quarterback of the future? It’s way too early to tell, but Stick looks like a solid pick in the 5^th round.

RB: As expected, running back was not an area of focus for the Chargers and so none were drafted. RB Melvin Gordon remains the starter and is expected to be one of the top fantasy draft picks this season. Backups RB Austin Ekeler and RB Justin Jackson are solid, but have limited fantasy value as long as Gordon remains healthy.

WR: Reliable, but slightly fragile, WR Keenan Allen is the team’s top threat at the position and will likely be a fantasy WR1 or WR2 most games. WR Mike Williams has been coming on and looks to improve in 2019. WR Travis Benjamin is either hot or ice cold and is too inconsistent for serious fantasy consideration, most weeks.

TE: Although injured for most of the season last year, TE Hunter Henry should return in a big way. TE Virgil Green also returns, although he will likely have little fantasy value. TE Antonio Gates is currently a free agent. He could return this year, but barring injury that might not happen.

PK: After a long string of failures at the kicking position, PK Michael Badgley finally brought some stability to the team’s kicking game. Expect him to return in 2019 and to remain an above average fantasy kicking option.

DEF: As expected, most of the Bolts focus in this year’s draft was on the defense. In round 1, the team chose former Notre Dame DT Jeffery Tillery. While Tillery is solid, there have been character issues, and typically the Chargers try to avoid guys whose character may be in question. Further, Tillery is coming off of shoulder surgery, although he appears to be making good progress. Certainly, he has potential, especially against the pass, but there is some risk to this pick. 2^nd round pick former Delaware S Nasir Adderley looks like a steal and should pair nicely with last year’s top draft pick, S Derwin James. 4^th round selection former Notre Dame LB Drue Tranquill. Tranquill should be especially solid in passing situations and perhaps on the blitz. While the Chargers do need to get better at defense, it appears that the D will be younger and faster than last year.

End.