The Los Angeles Chargers will open their first training camp under new head coach Jim Harbaugh this week. With a new voice in charge, things are going to look much different for this team in 2024.
There will be tough competition at every position as the team looks for the right mix of players to create its best 53-man roster.
Who will win the most competitive competitions? Here are four key position battles and the player who will win each one.
Predicting winners of Los Angeles Chargers top position battles
Backup Quarterback
The starting quarterback spot is not in question and probably won't be for quite some time for this team. But there could be an interesting battle brewing at the backup spot.
Easton Stick, who has been with the team since 2019, will face former Heisman Trophy candidate Max Duggan, in a rematch from last summer. Duggan has some experience and time with the team this time around but after Stick saw the most significant playing time of his career last year, he will be tough to unseat.
Prediction: Easton Stick
WR3
The entire wide receiver position will be must-see TV for the Chargers this summer, but the No. 3 wide receiver spot could see the most competition.
Joshua Palmer and second-round pick Ladd McConkey seem to be locked into the top two slots, but will the third spot go to D.J. Chark or Quentin Johnston?
There is talk that Johnston will open camp on the outside looking in on that picture and that is discouraging news for last year's first-round pick. Chark is an experienced veteran but if Johnston wants his career in L.A. to feature any bright spots, he needs to beat him out.
Prediction: D.J. Chark
Reserve swing tackle
Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt will be the starting offensive tackles for this team and if Trey Pipkins is able to successfully make the switch to guard, the reserve swing tackle spot could come down to Alex Leatherwood vs. Foster Sarell.
Sarell has played the last three seasons with the Chargers and made three starts, giving him a good head start over Leatherwood, who many feel is a draft bust at this point. But Sarell did that with a different coaching staff in place and the current regime saw enough in Leatherwood to kick the tires on him this offseason. That leads to an interesting battle.
Prediction: Alex Leatherwood
Bud Dupree vs. Chris Rumph
The Chargers have one of the best top-three edge rushing groups in the league with Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipolotu, so long as they are all healthy. But the team will need at least one more guy in this spot and that comes down to Dupree or Rumph.
Similar to the Leatherwood signing, the Chargers see a productive rotational veteran in Dupree and will favor him over Rumph, a former fourth-round pick who has not done much to this point in his career.
Prediction: Bud Dupree
