New projection brings out surprising receiver as WR1

The Los Angeles Chargers enter the 2024 season with a question mark over their wide receiver room. The team opted to draft Joe Alt with the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, instead of choosing a highly rated receiver like LSU's Malik Nabers.

The Chargers signed DJ Chark in free agency, but Chark isn't exactly the productive wide receiver the team needs.

General manager Jor Hortiz was able to sign two young receivers who could become opening day starters, Ladd McConkey from Georgia and Brenden Rice from USC. McConkey has been turning heads in training camp so far and should be Herbert's favorite weapon according to a new projection from ESPN.

ESPN's Mike Clay projects player production on each team each season, and he has a surprising take on who the Chargers' WR1 will be and what they will produce.

According to Clay's projection, McConkey will finish with the most receiving yards on the team with 798 and 5 touchdowns.

Clay also assumes that a more committee type of receiving attack will be what Herbert gets in McConkey at 798 yards, Joshua Palmer at 631 yards, Quentin Johnston at 601 yards and Chark at 567 yards.

Palmer, Johnston, and Chark are all veterans on this roster, but it appears McConkey could be the biggest pass-catching weapon for Herbert during the 2024 season. With the way he has impressed in training camp so far, 'Now it could end up being true.