Mike Williams

The seventh overall pick in 2017, Williams has quietly lived up to his billing, though you wouldn’t necessarily know it from his cosmetic stats. His per-play output has been among the league’s best the last three seasons. The problem for Williams has always been volume, and last season was no different. Despite missing only one game, Williams managed just 85 targets, compared to Keenan Allen’s far less efficient 147 in 14 games. The Chargers also have a high-volume pass-catching running back in Austin Ekeler (though he was hurt for much of last year) and replaced the departed Hunter Henry with Jared Cook at tight end — i.e., if Williams is to get more opportunities this season it won’t be due to personnel changes. At 6-4, 218, with 4.49 speed and a massive wingspan, Williams can outreach, out-jump and outmuscle defensive backs. While quarterback Philip Rivers used to throw him jump balls, Justin Herbert has the arm and downfield accuracy to hit Williams in stride. Williams had fewer big plays last year — only two catches of 40-plus yards, down from a league-leading eight in 2019 — in part because the team used rookie burner Jaylen Guyton (four 40-yard catches) to attack downfield. New head coach Brandon Staley — the former Rams defensive coordinator — and his offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi could change the target distribution in Williams’ favor this season, but Allen is likely the top dog, and Lombardi’s previous stints favored pass-catching backs like Ekeler. Read Past Outlooks