Every season, there are players who break out onto the scene who may not have been dominant the season before, whether they had limited snaps, dealt with an injury, or just improved as a player in the offseason.
It’s no different for a few Chargers players poised to have breakout campaigns and help the team with genuine Super Bowl hopes this upcoming season.
CB Ja'Sir Taylor
The Chargers drafted Taylor as a core special teams player, which he proved to be. Taylor was outstanding in his role as a punt coverage gunner. Taylor ended up seeing some playing time on the defensive side of the ball toward the back end of the season. Taylor had some lapses in coverage, especially when he had to play as an outside corner. But his standout performance came in the big primetime win over the Dolphins, where he locked down Jaylen Waddle, showing glimpses of a solid slot corner. Additionally, he came on strong as a tackler in open space and a blitzer. A more prominent role is set for Taylor in his second season. And with what he showed inside in 2022, there’s no denying that he could be a key contributor in 2023.
G Zion Johnson
Johnson was thrown into the fire in his first season as the team’s starting right guard. He experienced typical rookie growing pains against elite competition. They primarily came in pass protection, where he allowed 40 pressures and seven sacks. However, he was steadily strong as a run blocker alongside Trey Pipkins on the right side of the offensive line. Now set to move to left guard, Johnson should grow into a solid and complete player at the position, being in between Rashawn Slater and Corey Linsley.
RB Joshua Kelley
Kelley competed for the No. 2 spot with Sony Michel early in the 2022 season and missed four games with a sprained MCL, but he solidified himself as the bonafide backup by the end of the year. Kelley finished the season with 69 carries for 287 yards (4.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns and caught 14 of his 25 targets for 101 yards. With Kellen Moore overseeing the offense now, he will emphasize improving the run game which has had proven success during his tenure as the Cowboys offensive coordinator. During that time, Dallas had the seventh-best rushing offense. Therefore, Kelley could be in for a fine third season as Austin Ekeler’s running mate.
