We're a week away from the start of Chargers Training Camp.
And while players and coaches have gotten some well-deserved time away from The Bolt of late, the intensity is about to camp up as the 2024 season looms.
Rookies reported for camp Tuesday while veterans will be at The Bolt in less than a week.
With that in mind, here are five key position battles to watch in the coming weeks:
1. Wide receiver
All eyes will be on this group at camp due to the major roster turnover inside the position room this offseason.
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are gone, leaving Joshua Palmer as the de-facto leader of the group as he has the most rapport with Justin Herbert.
Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis are entering Year 2 while the Bolts added DJ Chark in free agency and spenr three draft picks on the position in Ladd McConkey, Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson.
It remains to be seen whether the Chargers keep five or six receivers on the 53-man roster, but the bigger questions points to who can earn quickly Herbert's trust once the pads come on.
It's a good bet that the quintet of Palmer, Chark, Johnston, Davis and McConkey will make the team, with others potentially fighting for a final spot.
But the Bolts will need at least one or two players from this group to raise their game and help elevate the Bolts passing attack in 2024.
"There's a lot of competition there and that's going to continue into training camp," Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said in June. "I'm not going to sit here right now and say that there's a stoned depth chart because there's not, but I definitely think progress is being made pretty much by everybody."
2. Linebacker
The Bolts are going to have a new pair of starting linebackers in 2024.
And while there's a good chance that veteran Denzel Perryman can be etched into one of those slots, the other starting spot appears up for grabs at the moment.
Pencil in Daiyan Henley, Junior Colson and possibly Nick Niemann as the players who have a chance to earn a starting role next to Perryman.
"There's no really weak point in our room. Everyone is hungry," Chargers linebacker coach NaVorro Bowman said last month. "The competition level is very high. I think everyone understands that in our room."
Henley showed flashes in limited playing time as a rookie and spent time with the first-team offense this spring.
Colson, meanwhile, might know the ins and outs of Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter's scheme better than anyone since he just won a national title in it at Michigan.
The addition of Perryman in free agency was a boon to the Bolts, who will need his experience next to whichever youngster turns heads in camp.
3. Safety
We're not talking about the starting spots here as Derwin James, Jr. and Alohi Gilman obviously have those locked down.
The real intrigue is behind them as the Chargers look to solidify their safety depth with the third and fourth spots.
JT Woods and AJ Finley engaged in a heated competition this spring but the Chargers added even more depth after minicamp with the signing of veteran Tony Jefferson, who has previous experience with Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz in Baltimore.
Given how valuable and versatile James is all over the field, it's easy to envision a scenario where he lines up in the slot or near the line of scrimmage more often that not.
If that's the case, the Chargers would need to rely on one of the above three players to slide in next to Gilman in the secondary.
Expect a heated competition for snaps and playing time as camp rolls along.
"That's a great competition. I'd say it's ongoing. We've thrown different guys there at different times," Minter said in June.
He later added: "I think they sense there's a real opportunity here for a lot of snaps because of Derwin's flexibility and how good he can be doing different things. For us it's like, 'Okay, who are the five defensive backs to put on the field? Who are the six best defensive backs?' And letting all that shake out … when you have training camp, when you have pads on, when the rules are a little bit different. I think all that stuff will sort itself out."
4. Defensive line
When Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh took the job in January, he admittedly didn't know much about the state of the Bolts defensive line room.
How does Harbaugh view the group heading into camp?
"[I] didn't know where that was exactly when I first got here, but it's a strength," Harbaugh said. "It's a strength for us, really excited about it."
The group will be led by veterans Morgan Fox and Poona Ford, both of whom have 80-plus games of NFL experience.
The trio of Otito Ogbonnia, Christopher Hinton and Scott Matlock all return from a season ago, with the latter earning plenty of praise from Harbaugh this offseason for his work ethic and leadership.
The Chargers also drafted Justin Eboigbe in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to add even more depth to the group.
The Bolts have talked all offseason about wanting to be a team built in the trenches on both sides of the ball. There has been plenty of focus on the offensive line, but this group also has plenty to prove this season.
5. Slot cornerback
As it stands now, Asante Samuel, Jr. and newcomer Kristian Fulton are in line to man the outside starting cornerback spots.
Things might be a bit more up in the air in the slot, where Ja'Sir Taylor spent the spring running with the top defense.
But keep an eye on rookie fifth-round pick Tarheeb Still, who burst onto the scene in minicamp with multiple pass deflections while even nabbing an interception off Herbert.
"Really happy with the jump he's made. He made a bunch of really nice plays out there the last couple days," Minter said of Still during minicamp.
James was asked this spring which rookie had stood out to him.
"Tarheeb been making a lot of plays in the slot," James said.
Time will tell whether Taylor or Still wins the starting slot cornerback gig, but having solid depth at that spot will only help the Bolts, too.
