Chargers News: 3 WRs Bolts could trade for, including Diontae Johnson - Bolts From The Blue

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Diontae Johnson is at the top of the list for wideouts the Chargers could make a deal for ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Through the first six games of the 2024 season, no Chargers player has more than 300 yards receiving. In fact, only one of them (Ladd McConkey) has more than 200. Of course, when you’re throwing for less than 190 yards per game on top of the way Justin Herbert likes to spread the ball around, even a benchmark that low will be tough to get to.

So in case those initial stats didn’t alert you to it, yes, the Chargers need some extra help at wide receiver! Injuries kept both Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis out of last week’s game and without those two in the lineup, the extremely shallow depth of the receiver group was on full display.

Now, what are the team’s options? Well, DeAndre Hopkins is off the board because the Chiefs of all teams went out and traded a fifth-rounder for the former All-Pro. So below, I wrote up three receivers to keep an eye on as we inch closer and closer to the trade deadline.

Diontae Johnson, Panthers

Ealrlier this year, Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Johnson and a late-round draft pick. Thus far in his first season with Carolina, Johnson has 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns.

At 5’10 and 187 pounds, Johnson isn’t anything special build-wise compared to what the Chargers have, but he’s a very sharp route-runner who has shown he can gobble up catches for his quarterbacks. In his last three seasons where he played at least 13 games, Johnson had at least 86 receptions in all of them, including a career-high 107 in 2021.

Johnson is arguably the best receiver available for the Chargers now that Hopkins is off the table. His proven experience and route-savvy would raise the floor of the entire position group and that’s a must if the Chargers hope to compete in games where the run game isn’t popping.

Diontae Johnson still playing with his gloves at the snap before proceeding to torch the entire defense. This guy rocks. Shook 39 twice.Watch him widen his stem to get the defender moving outside. Open doors for yourself. pic.twitter.com/kaMOsgkpVi

Darius Slayton, Giants

Slayton would not come in and be the team’s WR1 by any means, but he’s been a solid complementary receiver the for the Giants over the past five seasons. He only has career highs of 50 receptions and 770 yards, but those are plenty good for a secondary wideout.

In 2024, he so far has 25 receptions for 312 yards and a lone score.

At 6’1 and 190 pounds, Slayton has good size to go with his 4.39 speed. His career-long receptions went for 80 yards a season ago and he’s got at least one catch of 55 yards in three of his first five campaigns. Slayton can win deep and that’s a needed area that needs exploring in Roman’s offense.

Darius Slayton has never played with an accurate deep ball passer before but he can really run.Instant accelerator who glides into top gear with ease. pic.twitter.com/wkHk2aGtFT

WR Mike Williams

The Chargers have already been named as one of the teams who have inquired about Williams’ availability from the Jets. Williams is the easiest fit to project here as we all know how good the chemistry already is between him and Herbert.

Williams does not give the Chargers the type of speed threat to punish defenses by taking off the top of the coverage, but he’s still the type of bully that knows how to come down with the big catch downfield.

Of course, we simply wouldn’t know if Williams is completely healthy from his ACL tear he suffered over a year ago based on how he’s been used in New York up to this point. Now with Davante Adams in the fold, the best the Chargers can do is assume there might be some risk to dealing for him before making a trade. As long as it’s a late day-three pick, I don’t see any issue with that.