The Chargers struggled to get production from their No. 3 wide receiver last season. Aside from the one-two punch of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, it was slim pickings.
When the topic of the third receiver was brought up to coach Anthony Lynn’s attention on Wednesday, he said the No. 1 thing Los Angeles is looking for in the No. 3 wide receiver is “speed,” similar to what Tyrell Williams brought.
L.A. thought they had that with Travis Benjamin, but his inconsistent hands and injuries were maddening, which is why they elected to part ways.
At the moment, Andre Patton is the frontrunner because of his experience, and gives the Chargers what they’re looking for at that position with his 4.4 speed.
Patton appeared in 13 regular season games in 2019. He caught six passes for 56 yards last season. In the 2019 preseason, Patton caught six passes for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Los Angeles added some pieces to the room by selecting Joe Reed in the fifth-round and K.J. Hill in the seventh-round of this year’s draft.
Reed and Hill should push Patton, but their skillsets don’t necessarily match what Lynn’s looking for in that role. Reed has the quicks, but he wasn’t much of a deep threat in college. Meanwhile, Hill isn’t known for his speed. Instead, he’s coveted for his route-running ability and ball skills.
Rounding out the rest of the group is Darius Jennings, Jason Moore, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson, Jeff Cotton and Dalton Schoen.
Guyton is a guy to keep an eye on, as he ran a 4.3 40 at his college Pro Day.
At the end of the day, Reed and Hill will make it a battle, but I expect Patton to ultimately win the job. His familiarity with the offense, experience and the shortage of training camp should earn the role.
