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Ranking The Best Chargers Best Rookies From 2024

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2024 NFL Draft

The Los Angeles Chargers 2024 NFL draft class will be remembered in franchise history as it is the first class of the new regime of Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz.

Beyond the name value of the individuals who made the decisions for the draft class, the class itself was absolutely spectacular. With such a great rookie draft, which rookies were the best and the worst amongst its own class?

Read: Los Angeles Chargers 2024 Draft Stat Line Predictions

Ranking The Best Chargers Rookies From 2024

9. The Not So Chargers Rookie: WR Cornelius Johnson, Michigan – Round 7, Pick 253

Coming out of the 2024 NFL draft, Cornelius Johnson was viewed at as a day three selection with size, speed and a great attitude to succeed in the NFL. He had quite big believers in the draft community, and he was thought to be the better selection over another Chargers rookie receiver who was drafted in this same class.

Unfortunately for Johnson, his time with Los Angeles did not last long and his reunion with Head Coach Jim Harbaugh was not filled with sunshine and rainbows. Johnson was cut from the team’s practice squad and now is on the Green Bay Packers.

Though he was the team’s last selection in the 2024 NFL draft, he still did not make any impact on the Chargers season, hence his ranking of last place.

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8. Disappointing Defensive Lineman: DL Justin Eboigbe, Alabama – Round 4, Pick 105

Justin Eboigbe was slowly rising in the NFL draft right before draft day. He was initially viewed as a priority free agent/late-day three selection, but he eventually rose to the fourth round right where the Chargers took a chance on Eboigbe.

The Alabama product had a path to playing time in a then work-in-progress interior defensive line room. As a fourth-round selection that was hand-picked by this regime, his chance of playing over other day-three picks like Scott Matlock (who was also playing Fullback) and Otito Ogbonnia was seemingly quite easy to achieve.

Eboigbe registered only 26 snaps on defense, which allotted a 34.5 PFF defense grade. His minimal playing time and lackluster play on the field eventually culminated in Eboigbe mainly being a healthy scratch for the season. Not what you want to see for your fourth-round selection.

7. The Most Hyped 2024 7th Round Selection: WR Brenden Rice, USC – Round 7, Pick 225

Brenden Rice out of USC might have been one of the most hyped seventh-round selections of all time. This is due to his father being the greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice. Furthermore, B. Rice also had hype to go in the back end of day two of the NFL draft, so seeing him fall to the seventh round gave Chargers fans hope he would make an immediate impact.

B. Rice was in a very weak Chargers receiving room but was unable to really make an impact in the Chargers passing game. On his three offensive snaps on the season, he drew a penalty. He did not play an offensive snap again.

He was also placed on Injured Reserve a bit later in the season, and now Chargers fans are questioning if he will make the roster this next season. His placement is higher than Eboigbe’s due to his draft status and injury playing a factor in his playing time.

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6. Familiarity Fails: LB Junior Colson, Michigan – Round 3, Pick 69

Jim Harbaugh did not shy away from reuniting with one of his captains, Junior Colson. Colson was viewed as one of the best linebacker prospects in the draft, and the expectation for Colson was to come in and start right away due to his scheme familiarity and talent in a then-unproven linebacker room.

Colson suffered a plethora of injuries throughout his first season with the Chargers, leading to him missing most of training camp and multiple different stretches of the season. These injuries obviously hampered his abilities and disallowed him to be the same player he was at Michigan.

His 36.7 defensive grade on 234 defensive snaps does not bode well for his play on the field, as he was constantly taking poor pursuit angles and taking advantage of in coverage.

His placement on this list is due to his play relative to his draft status and his inability to stay on the field. However, his outlook for next season is still positive due to all of the circumstances that happened to him in year one, and his third-round draft status.

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5. 2024 NFL Draft Favorite: RB Kimani Vidal, Troy – Round 6, Pick 181

Having Kimani Vidal over Colson may surprise some, but Vidal being a sixth-round pick who played a strong role down the stretch of the season should not be overstated. Vidal was loved by the NFL fantasy community and that gave him major expectations that were simply never going to be met.

Vidal is still impressed, having his first-ever touch be an impressive wheel route touchdown against the Denver Broncos. Beyond this, he showed promise in the running game giving the Chargers some nifty, leverage-breaking jukes and speed that was missing once JK Dobbins went down with injury.

He or Colson could be a toss-up in a ranking like this, but Vidal gets the edge due to his impressive play relative to his draft status.

Watch – Related – Dynasty Running Back Rankings

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4. Won Over the Hearts of Many: CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame – Round 5, Pick 140

Cam Hart had some real truthers in the NFL draft community, and seeing him fall from his projected day-two status to the fifth round was very surprising. In true Joe Hortiz fashion, he took advantage of this fall and selected him in the fifth round.

Hart was extremely impressive in his first season, starting a handful of games, and competing with the best of receivers. As a press-man corner, Hart gave guys like Ja’Marr Chase troubles (before Hart suffered a concussion in the second half.)

Beyond his ability to match up with “X” receivers, his ability to lay the boom on opposing ball carriers popped on tape and should be something to look out for, for the coming seasons.

While Hart was quite impressive when he was on the field, especially in comparison to the average fifth-round selection, he suffered two concussions and had trouble staying on the field. If Hart can stay on the field, he can be a very good starting cornerback in this league.

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3. The Biggest 2024 NFL Draft Steal?: CB Tarheeb Still, Maryland – Round 5, Pick 137

As another fifth-round cornerback selection, Tarheeb Still was also very impressive in his rookie season. Chargers fans were a bit shocked when Still was selected, not fully understanding the pick due to the lack of name value Still had in the draft cycle.

Still proved everyone wrong and was arguably the best Chargers rookie cornerback since 2014 Jason Verrett. He collected four interceptions, doing so while playing different positions throughout the season. Still was moving back and forth from outside cornerback to slot cornerback playing both at a high level.

The Chargers season would be much different if they did not get a steal with Still in the fifth round. Getting him by a steal of a trade from the Patriots. Still, the Chargers have two rookies ahead of the Maryland cornerback, showing the prowess of this 2024 NFL draft class from Hortiz.

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2. 2024 NFL Draft All-Star: OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame – Round 1, Pick 5

The Chargers first selection in the 2024 NFL draft was the controversial selection of Offensive Tackle Joe Alt. While Alt was everything but controversial, being touted as one of the safest prospects in the draft, fans were very upset that the Chargers did not draft Malik Nabers with that fifth overall selection.

All Alt did was be the best rookie offensive tackle in the league by every PFF-graded metric and graded in the top 15 amongst all starting offensive tackles in the league. Alt as a 21-year-old rookie was able to play both tackle spots, mainly at a foreign right tackle spot, and still became one of the best tackles in the league.

The Chargers got a possible Hall-of-Fame talent with their first selection in this new regime, yet, there is arguably still another player in this class who gave the Chargers a bit larger of an impact relative to their draft status.

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1. 31 Other Teams Missed Out: WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia – Round 2, Pick 34

Ladd McConkey is an early second-round selection who came into this Chargers offense and dominated from day one. McConkey was viewed as a late first-round prospect who would be a trustworthy receiver in any offense; giving reliability and speed.

The Chargers desperately needed receiver help and McConkey coming in on day one to become that #1 receiver arguably saved the entire season. In 16 games, McConkey recorded 82 catches for 1149 yards and seven touchdowns, giving the Chargers much-needed receiver production.

Watch – Pre-Draft Ladd McConkey Film Study

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All in all, the Georgia receiver gets the edge over Alt due to draft status, but both show how great this draft class ended up being. Now, the question remains: Can the Chargers repeat this success in the 2025 NFL draft?

Main Photo Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The post Ranking The Best Chargers Best Rookies From 2024 appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.