Day 10 of Chargers training camp was conducted as an intrasquad scrimmage at Jack Hammett Sports Complex.
Here are my takeaways from Sunday evening:
Josh Palmer is legit
The Chargers already had one of the better wide receiver duos in the league with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but they might have one of the top trios with how Palmer has been looking.
Palmer, the second-year player, continued to shine in practice, consistently creating separation with great routes and catching everything thrown in his direction.
Josh Palmer!!! ⚡️⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/imxVX5KpR2
— Jason Delgado (@JasonDelgado78) August 8, 2022
DeAndre Carter is more than a return specialist
The Chargers signed Carter with the intent to make him the team’s primary return man to replace Andre Roberts from last season. However, he’s proven to be reliable to the offense since the start of camp, and he carried that to the scrimmage.
Roberts caught a team-high five passes, including one that went for over 35 yards. Justin Herbert found him between the safeties, and he just ran right by everyone, where he was then stopped at the one-yard line.
“It’s not an accident,” Brandon Staley said on Carter. “Our guys like throwing to him. It’s been that way since springtime. He’s going to be a guy that makes an impact on our team. He’s much more than just a return specialist.”
Justin Herbert to DeAndre Carter to the goal line. Austin Ekeler gets the TD right after pic.twitter.com/tSPZGFXnfQ
— Garrett Sisti (@GarrettSisti) August 8, 2022
Khalil Mack is a force to be reckoned with
Since stepping foot on the practice field with his new team, Mack has been a man on a mission to prove the doubters wrong and show that age and a foot injury from last season are not slowing him down.
Mack did what he does best, generating consistent pressure with his signature speed to power move, and made an impact in the run game, showing the quickness to slither into the backfield to make a couple of tackles for loss.
Khalil Mack: he can rush the passer & wreck shop in the run game pic.twitter.com/kuxW3xMmA2
— Garrett Sisti (@GarrettSisti) August 8, 2022
Run defense shows up
The scrimmage would’ve been the perfect opportunity to begin to take stock of who has the leg up to be Austin Ekeler’s running mate, but the Chargers’ upgraded run defense said otherwise.
Held to no more than three yards per gain, the running backs got their reps more so in the passing game, where rookie Isaiah Spiller and Joshua Kelley each had impressive grabs.
This competition remains wide open. The deciding factor will be who shows up in the preseason games.
Zion Johnson continues to be as good as advertised
Since the start of camp, Johnson has been making the transition to the NFL seamless. Whether it’s been during one-on-ones or team drills, he has been a wall in pass protection. In the scrimmage, Johnson again held rushers at bay with strength and power. Further, in one play, his smarts allowed him to pick up a blitz and allow Justin Herbert to convert a first down throw to Keenan Allen in the red zone.
Beautiful blitz pickup by rookie Zion Johnson. He’s a wall pic.twitter.com/UMyGRpyDR5
— Garrett Sisti (@GarrettSisti) August 8, 2022
Michael Davis makes presence known
After signing a contract extension last offseason, Davis was inconsistent as the Chargers’ No. 1 cornerback and struggled to quickly grasp the complexities of Staley’s coverage systems. Now the fourth option on the depth, Davis is fighting for his snaps. He dealt with some early struggles, but the scrimmage marked his best practice. Playing tight coverage, Davis forced a couple of passes defended and looked physical when coming up to make a play.
Injury Update
The Chargers had nine players not partake in the scrimmage due to an injury. Staley provided injury updates following the scrimmage. Drue Tranquill, Tre’ McKitty, Jason Moore, and Kenneth Murray are trending positive. Kyle Van Noy, Nick Niemann, and Mark Webb are considered day-to-day. Donald Parham is expected to miss a week with a hamstring injury. Andrew Trainer is considered out.
