Joshua Kelley

After a brutal first two seasons with the Chargers, Kelley finally gained some traction in his third year. The 2020 fourth-round pick from UCLA was bottled up for just 456 yards and two touchdowns on 144 carries entering last year -- a mere 3.2 yards per carry -- so his still-mediocre 2022 box score of 287 yards and two touchdowns on 69 carries (4.2 YPC) marked a significant improvement. The Chargers seemingly played Kelley ahead of 2022 fourth-round pick Isaiah Spiller mostly because of blitz pickup and scheme familiarity. Losing that edge this season with a new offensive coordinator coming in could cost Kelley his job, even though Spiller is coming off an unimpressive rookie year with only 21 touches. The good news for Kelley is soft competition behind Austin Ekeler, with those two and Spiller joined by last year's fourth-stringer, Larry Rountree, and a few undrafted rookies.

Kelley struggled mightily in his second season with the Chargers, as he played just 135 offensive snaps across 10 games compared to 297 snaps in 14 games during his rookie campaign. A lackluster career 3.2 yards-per-carry average has highlighted the 24-year-old's inability to break off chunk runs and Kelley doesn't add much as a pass catcher either. The Chargers drafted Isaiah Spiller in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and signed veteran Sony Michel at the end of the preseason, but it's possible Kelley's experience with the Chargers keep him second on the depth chart to open the season.

Drafted in the fourth round last year, Kelley looked like he might thrive as a physical complement to Austin Ekeler after he punched home a touchdown from inside the five-yard line in Week 1 and then piled up 113 total yards in Week 2. By the end of the year, though, Kelley had trouble getting into the lineup on a consistent basis, managing only nine offensive snaps the final five games. While he has good straight-line speed (4.49 40) and runs with some power, his inability to avoid contact is a major issue, and his 3.2 YPC last season was lowest in the league among RBs with at least 100 carries. Kelley also doesn't offer much as a receiver, though Ekeler dominates that role anyway. Justin Jackson has been more productive when healthy and the Chargers added more competition in the draft, selecting Larry Rountree in the sixth round, so Kelley will have to fight for his backup role this summer.

After the Chargers said goodbye to Melvin Gordon, adding backfield depth in the draft became a priority, and they wound up selecting Kelley in the fourth round. A downhill runner out of UCLA, he has the power and balance to hammer through contact, and, with a 4.49 40, good speed once he finds open space. His lack of vision, elusiveness or receiving skills make him unlikely to become a true three-down back, but as a complementary option behind new starter Austin Ekeler, Kelley could thrive between the tackles and in short-yardage situations. The rookie will compete with holdover Justin Jackson for those backup touches, and Kelley might be a better fit for the role, given that he's about 15 pounds heavier at 5-11, 212. With Ekeler relatively unproven in a full-time role, there could be a decent number of snaps and carries available for whoever emerges as the Chargers' No. 2 back.