Welcome to my rankings of the 20 players most important to the Los Angeles Chargers’ success in 2025.
This will be Part 1 of the rankings, counting down players 20 to 11. Part 2 will come out later this week, counting down the top 10.
A key distinction before we jump in: These are not necessarily the 20 best players on the Chargers roster. Instead, these are the 20 players who I think will have the biggest impact on how the Chargers perform in Year 2 under coach Jim Harbaugh. It is an exercise more geared toward finding the pressure points of the roster. Where do the Chargers need to see improvement? Who are they relying on? Where can they least afford injuries or performance regression?
20. TE Oronde Gadsden
The Chargers drafted Gadsden into the fifth round out of Syracuse, and I expect him to enter his rookie training camp third on the depth chart behind Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin. Dissly had a career receiving season in 2024. The Chargers signed Conklin in free agency. Even with two veterans above him, Gadsden sneaks into our list because of the skills he will theoretically provide the passing offense. Last season, the Chargers did not have a tight end who could consistently stress defenses vertically, particularly down the seams. Gadsden has a chance to fill that role and add an explosive element to the passing game, including in contested-catch situations. And that is a different, potentially more impactful element than what Dissly and Conklin provide as receivers.
19. OL Bradley Bozeman
Does Bozeman start? If he does, at what position? Those are two big questions as the Chargers prepare for the start of organized team activities next week. Bozeman started at center last year and led the Chargers in offensive snaps. He re-signed in the offseason. This season, the Chargers have created more contingencies across the offensive line, including at center. They have already begun experimenting with Zion Johnson at center. Johnson was the Chargers’ starting left guard last season. The Chargers also signed Andre James in free agency. James has 60 career starts at center.
If Johnson wins the center job, Bozeman could start at left guard. But the Chargers also have contingencies. Trey Pipkins III and Jamaree Salyer are options at left guard. They drafted Branson Taylor in the sixth round and he was working at left guard in rookie minicamp. In the end, though, I think Bozeman will initially start at either center or left guard — whichever spot Johnson does not claim. The interior pass protection last season was a big weakness for the Chargers. It must improve in 2025. They could have two of the same starters on the interior in Bozeman and Johnson. Will the addition of Mekhi Becton at right guard be enough to elevate Bozeman and Johnson?
18. LB Junior Colson
Colson’s rookie season was stunted by injuries. He missed time in OTAs with an undisclosed injury. He had an appendectomy in July that forced him to sit out the first two weeks of training camp. He was not participating in full team drills until mid-August. Then he landed on injured reserve in November with an ankle injury and missed four games.
The Chargers drafted Colson in the third round last year. He played for Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter on the Michigan national-title team in 2023. He was positioned to carve out a sizable role with the Chargers in 2024 before the slew of injuries. Colson has another chance to build that role. The best version of this year’s Chargers defense would feature Colson and Daiyan Henley emerging as a dominant linebacker duo. Henley was at that level in 2024. Can Colson match the jump Henley made from Year 1 to Year 2? The depth behind Colson: Troy Dye, Denzel Perryman, Del’Shawn Phillips. Dye had some fine moments on defense last year. Perryman played well in the first half of the year before he missed most of the final stretch with a groin injury. Colson cementing himself would be quite impactful for Minter’s Chargers defense.
The Chargers defense would get a huge boost if Junior Colson makes a second-year jump. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
17. RB Najee Harris
In offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s first season, the Chargers never found consistency in the running game. They finished 24th in rushing success rate, according to TruMedia. Some of that was related to injuries. General manager Joe Hortiz pieced together the team’s running back room with two low-budget signings, former Baltimore Ravens J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Edwards played in 11 regular-season games. Dobbins played in 13, but he landed on IR with a knee injury for a crucial stretch in December. The Chargers went looking for reliability and durability at running back this offseason to avoid a similar situation in 2025. That’s what Harris will hypothetically provide. He has not missed a game in his NFL career. He has finished with at least 284 touches in all four of his seasons. Harris continuing to be this type of workhorse will go a long way toward the Chargers building the running game they have envisioned. Harris will also give first-round pick Omarion Hampton time to adjust to the NFL game, if Hampton needs it.
16. CB Cam Hart
The Chargers received solid rookie seasons from their two fifth-round corners, Hart and Tarheeb Still. Those two could be the starting duo on the outside in 2025. Hart, with his size and speed, has a chance to be an upper-echelon outside corner. He showed flashes of that in 2024. Hart looked far more polished as a coverage player in Minter’s defense as compared to his film at Notre Dame in 2023. He played with impressive physicality, particularly when driving down on routes in zone looks and delivering hits. The one issue: Hart missed time with injuries. He had two concussions. He also dealt with an ankle injury. And he was knocked out of the playoff loss in Houston with a shoulder injury. Hart staying on the field and manning one of the two outside spots will be crucial for the Chargers. They built in some depth behind Hart and Still on the corner depth chart by signing veterans Donte Jackson and Benjamin St-Juste. But similar to the situation at inside linebacker, the best version of the Chargers defense would include Hart and Still making continued strides in their second NFL seasons.
15. S Elijah Molden
The Chargers traded for Molden at the end of August last year, sending a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans. He turned into an incredibly valuable piece on the back end, and the Chargers rewarded him with a three-year extension in February. Molden found a home as a full-time safety in Minter’s defense. The duo of Molden and Alohi Gilman at safety allowed Minter to move Derwin James Jr. closer to the line of scrimmage in certain packages. James had a resurgent season as a result. Gilman and Molden will be important pieces this season because of what they mean for James. But given how Molden played in 2024, he could leapfrog Gilman on the depth chart and be the second safety next to James in base packages. Molden is a highly intelligent and instinctive player, and he could have even more to offer the Chargers now that he will spend a full offseason with the team. He had to learn on the fly last season after joining the Chargers after training camp.
14. WR Tre Harris
The Chargers went into this offseason with the goal of finding receiver additions who could open up the middle of the field for star slot receiver Ladd McConkey. More specifically, they needed an outside receiver who could attack defenses outside the numbers and win down the field in jump ball situations. They lacked that skill set last year. McConkey was the only receiver who could consistently beat man coverage. Defenses started to game plan against McConkey in the second half of the year, leading to double- and even triple-teams. McConkey was still highly productive, but it was clear he needed some help. Enter Harris, the Chargers’ second-round pick who fits the mold of what the passing game needs on the outside. I am less interested in Harris’ production as a rookie and more interested in what kind of impact he can have on McConkey. Harris should force defenses to divide their attention among multiple receiving options instead of just homing in on McConkey.
13. DL Teair Tart
Tart re-signed with the Chargers on a one-year deal. Getting Tart back in the fold was very important after Poona Ford walked in free agency and signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Ford was the Chargers’ best interior defensive lineman last season. The Chargers also lost Morgan Fox in free agency. They will need to replace the pass-rushing production that Ford and Fox provided in 2023. Who fills that gap? The Chargers have built out their depth in this position group. They signed Da’Shawn Hand and Naquan Jones in free agency. They drafted Jamaree Caldwell in the third round. They are also hoping for a jump from 2024 fourth-round pick Justin Eboigbe. But among this group, I think the Chargers are relying most heavily on Tart, who was very disruptive in more of rotational role in 2024. Will Tart be equally as disruptive when his playing time increases significantly? And if that does not happen, who in this group of interior defensive linemen can be a consistent threat as a pass rusher?
Teair Tart was productive as a part-time player last season. Can he do the same with a larger role? (Harry How / Getty Images)
12. RB Omarion Hampton
The Harris signing felt like an attempt to raise the Chargers’ floor in the running game. The Hampton pick in the first round felt like an attempt to raise the ceiling. If Hampton is the same type of player he was in college at North Carolina, the Chargers rushing attack could be immensely improved. He is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He pairs that explosiveness with a bruising physicality, especially when finishing runs at the second level. Hampton could change the identity of the Chargers offense.
11. Edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu
Tuipulotu is going to have a massive opportunity in 2025. The Chargers cut longtime edge rusher Joey Bosa in March, and he signed with the Buffalo Bills. For the first time since he was drafted in the second round in 2023, Tuipulotu has a clear path to starting playing time. Is he ready to take on that role? I thought Tuipulotu was more consistent as a pass rusher as a rookie compared to last year, even though he nearly doubled his sack total from 2023 to 2024. The Chargers are banking on Tuipulotu taking advantage of this opportunity. They have veteran Bud Dupree as a third edge rusher, and they drafted Kyle Kennard out of South Carolina in the fourth round. The edge-rushing group was the strength of Minter’s defense in 2024. If that is going to remain the case in 2025, Tuipulotu will have to make a jump.
(Top photos of Tuli Tuipulotu and Omarion Hampton: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images and Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)