ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released his final league-voted position rankings today, wrapping up this annual series with wide receivers. The Los Angeles Chargers were left off entirely, and even former franchise mainstays Keenan Allen and Mike Williams did not receive a single vote.
Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston not making the wide receiver rankings is not surprising. What is a shocker is the complete omission of any current Chargers offensive skill position players across the board. On lists that feature 15-20 names per position, the Chargers did not have one wide receiver, tight end, or running back get a single vote.
Tight End Snub: Will Dissly
The majority of the names on this list were pass-catching tight ends, which ultimately Will Dissly is not. While Dissly did rank fourth in yards after the catch per reception (YAC/REC) among tight ends with 15 or more targets, 50 other tight ends had more receiving yards than he did in 2023. But that’s not what makes him special, nor is it the reason the Chargers paid him. Dissly ranked No. 1 in PFF pass blocking grade and No. 2 in PFF run blocking grade in 2023, only losing the crown in the latter to All-Pro tight end George Kittle. Among those tight ends, Dissly is one of just three tight ends to allow zero pressures in pass protection.
Here’s what Chargers run game coordinator and tight ends coach Andy Bischoff had to say about Dissly’s blocking capabilities:
“You're talking about one of the three guys in the league that can own the C-gap, period. There's not many of them. This is a different kind of football league that we live in now. To have a tight end that can own the C-gap is rare. He's one of those guys.”
One of the best blocking tight ends in the league should have been one of the 20 tight ends who received votes from around the NFL.
Running Back Snub: Gus Edwards
There is one specific gripe with this list that most Chargers fans would likely agree with: Austin Ekeler should not have received a vote over Gus Edwards. Here is how the two stacked up against each other in 2023:
Statistic | Gus Edwards | Austin Ekeler |
Yards per Attempt | 4.1 | 3.5 |
YCO/A | 2.71 | 2.64 |
PFF Rushing Grade | 74.6 | 65.1 |
Runs of 10+ | 15 | 7 |
Breakaway Rate | 23.5 | 20.4 |
Rushing First Downs | 49 | 34 |
Yards per Route Run | 1.08 | 1.25 |
YAC/REC | 12.4 | 10.5 |
Drop Rate | 0.0% | 7.3% |
Ekeler was the more involved receiver and slightly more efficient in terms of Y/RR. Aside from that, he had no business receiving a vote ahead of Edwards.
It remains to be seen which 2024 Chargers will make the list in 2025, particularly if Allen could not make it with the season he had. If 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Puka Nacua only ended up in the Receiving Votes category, odds are Ladd McConkey and Palmer do not break into this series themselves. Perhaps Edwards can return to peak efficiency reuniting with Greg Roman and become a featured back who sneaks onto the list.
