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Los Angeles Chargers Training Camp: 3 Position Battles to Watch in 2022

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The Los Angeles Chargers rookie Isaiah Spiller (pictured) will be in a competition during the LA Chargers training camp in 2022.

The Los Angeles Chargers were (possibly) a Brandon Staley overtime timeout away from making the playoffs in 2021. Now, in Justin Herbert’s third season, it’s time for the team to take the next step and reach the postseason. To accomplish this, the team has to figure out which players will start at key positions, particularly on the offensive side. As LA Chargers training camp gets underway, here are three positional battles to watch closely.

LA Chargers Training Camp Info

The Los Angeles Chargers rookie Isaiah Spiller (pictured) will be in a competition during the LA Chargers training camp in 2022.
Isaiah Spiller | Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Location: Jack Hammett Sports Complex, Costa Mesa, California

Rookies report: Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Veterans report: Tuesday, July 26, 2022

First game: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, September 11, 4:25 p.m. EST

Battle No. 1: TE1 — Gerald Everett vs. Donald Parham Jr. vs. Tre’ McKitty

Justin Herbert will have Mike Williams and Keenan Allen on the outside and Austin Eckler behind him to start the 2022 season. Who his tight end will be is more up in the air, though. 

The battle to be Herbert’s No. 1 in-line pass-catcher is up in the air coming into LA Chargers training camp this season. Right now, it is a three-man race. 

New Charger and five-year NFL veteran Gerald Everett is a known quantity. He’s a solid player who’ll give a team around 40 catches, 400 yards, and a couple of touchdowns a season. That’s fine, but not special. 

The Chargers have to hope one of the other two TEs step up and become serious weapons to make the offense more dynamic. 

Donald Parham Jr. suffered a terrifying concussion in Week 15 last season, but now he’s 100% physically heading into LA Chargers training camp. At 6-foot-8, 237 pounds, Parham is a big target and could have a breakout season in 2022. The other option is Tre’ McKitty, a second-year player who had six catches for 45 yards last season. 

Both Everett and Parham will play a lot, but Parham could separate himself because of his upside, size, and talent. 

Battle No. 2: RT — Trey Pipkins vs. Matt Feiler vs. Jamaree Salyer

The left side of the LA Chargers offensive line was excellent last year with center Cory Linsley, left guard Matt Feiler, and rookie left tackle Rashawn Slater. Right tackle was a problem. Storm Norton got beat up last season, and Justin Herbert got beat up at times because of it. 

Norton is still on the team this year but shouldn’t be a realistic option to start at RT again. 

Trey Pipkins struggled on the left but filled in admirably for Norton at times last season. The fourth-year tackle has looked good this offseason, according to reports, and it seems like he’ll get the first shot to win the job. 

Former Georgia right tackle and Chargers sixth-round pick Jamaree Salyer could also contend for the job. At 6-foot-3, 321 pounds, he could be a better fit in the pros as a guard, though. If this is the case, don’t be surprised if he kicks in and last year’s LG, Feiler, kicks out to RT. 

Battle No. 3: RB2 ­— Joshua Kelley vs. Larry Rountree III vs. Isaiah Spiller

Austin Ekeler had a career year in 2021 with 911 rushing yards, 647 receiving yards, and 20 total touchdowns. No NFL running back is an island, though, so who will be Ekeler’s partner in crime in 2022?

Joshua Kelley and Larry Roundtree III are both solid backups that can come into the game in a pinch and give a team a reliable ball carrier. However, neither are future No. 1 backs. 

The back to watch in LA Chargers training camp is fourth-round pick from Texas A&M Isaiah Spiller. He is a big (6-foot, 217-pound) back with good elusiveness and speed who has all the skills — including pass-blocking — to be a three-down NFL back. 

The Chargers’ coaching staff will carve out a role for Spiller right away, and while he’ll start the season as the No. 2 back, don’t be surprised if he challenges Ekeler before the season is over. 

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference

RELATED: 2022 Los Angeles Chargers Schedule: Full Dates, Times, and TV Info

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Tim Crean
Sports Editor

Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.

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Author photo
Tim Crean Sports Editor

Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.

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