The Chargers signed eleven free agents from other teams this offseason to supplement their roster.

After OTAs and minicamp, how much of an impact should we expect from each of them?

We rank them from the highest to the lowest.

G Mekhi Becton

Becton is the Chargers’ highest-impact free agent signing and will start at right guard, where he is expected to be a huge upgrade over what Los Angeles had on the interior last season. Pairing him with right tackle Joe Alt should open up plenty of running room for the Chargers backfield.

CB Donte Jackson

Jackson is the other Chargers free agent expected to be a full-time starter, as Tarheeb Still will be the starter at nickel corner. With Cam Hart on the other side recovering from offseason labrum surgery, LA will need Jackson to stay healthy and productive for the secondary to perform at a high level.

RB Najee Harris

Harris will likely open the season as the starter at running back, but he may be overtaken at some point during the year by first-round pick Omarion Hampton. Even so, the former Steeler will be a crucial part of the Chargers offense – Harris has never run for less than 1,000 yards even while mostly being part of a committee with Jaylen Warren.

TE Tyler Conklin

A later addition from the free-agent pool, Conklin is expected to take the TE2 role behind Will Dissly. Rookie Oronde Gadsden II has made a strong impression in minicamp, however, and the Chargers’ depth chart at the position may get even muddier if he continues to perform well in training camp. With how often Los Angeles puts multiple tight ends on the field, however, Conklin will undoubtedly have a role.

WR Mike Williams

Williams is back after one season with the Jets and Steelers and should start at X receiver for the Chargers to start the season. He has a rookie, Tre Harris, nipping at his heels, however. Williams has an established connection with Justin Herbert and is another year away from his torn ACL, but Ladd McConkey is the clear No. 1 receiver on this team, which inherently limits the impact Williams may have as the tentative No. 2.

DL Da’Shawn Hand

Most people believe that Hand will start at five-tech for the Chargers to replace Morgan Fox, but Los Angeles seems to still be rather high on 2024 fourth-rounder Justin Eboigbe in that spot as well. Hand has some added versatility to kick inside to three-tech, where he could rotate in with Otito Ogbonnia and Naquan Jones. With so many bodies on the defensive line, however, it’s hard to say that any of them will have an outsized impact.

CB Benjamin St-Juste

St-Juste seems to be the first man up if Hart or Jackson are unable to go on the outside, even after Deane Leonard’s strong 2024 preseason and performance in mop-up duty. There will also be an opportunity to contribute on special teams and potentially also back up Tarheeb Still in the Nickel. Considering that the Chargers gave him $2.5 million on a one-year deal, St-Juste will certainly play a key role, even if that’s primarily as a backup.

DL Naquan Jones

Jones is lower on this list than Hand because there’s nowhere for him to start, barring a surprise victory in training camp for the starting nose tackle job in front of Teair Tart and Jamaree Caldwell. Jones can play nose or three-tech, but is likely going to be a rotational player only for the Chargers. That’s not to say he won’t make an impact, but his opportunities to do so will be more limited than many of LA’s other additions.

LB Del’Shawn Phillips

Phillips was primarily signed to help fill out the special teams corps after LA lost Nick Niemann in free agency to Houston, but there’s not much room for him to find snaps on defense unless injuries start to decimate the linebacker room. Daiyan Henley, Junior Colson, and Denzel Perryman will take the bulk of those reps, with Troy Dye ready to fill in as he did at times in 2024.

OL Andre James

Many thought that James could compete for the starting center job after the Chargers picked him up from the rival Raiders, but LA seems focused on shaking out the hierarchy between Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson in that spot. James also hasn’t had quite the same opportunity to work at left guard as those two, which seems to leave him in a squarely depth role for the Chargers.