5 breakout stars to watch for Los Angeles Chargers in 2020

It was a rough 2019 for a team that was tied for the best record in the AFC the previous year. Can the Los Angeles Chargers bounce back with some help?

Back in 2017, head coach Anthony Lynn took over the Los Angeles Chargers and that team proceeded to drop its first four games. Then came an amazing run in which the Bolts ran off nine victories in their final 12 contests. The club fell short of a playoff appearance, but it set the stage for a big year in 2018.

Lynn’s squad finished 12-4, tied for the best record in the conference, reached the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and won a road postseason game at Baltimore. But the club was humbled a week later at Foxborough, 41-28, a score not indicative of how badly the Chargers were pushed around.

Last offseason, a holdout by running back Melvin Gordon and an injury to star safety Derwin James set the stage for the very-disappointing 5-11 finish, which included zero wins against their divisional brethren. But general manager Tom Telesco and the team have been busy via trades and free agent signings. And the club owns the sixth overall pick in the draft. So what about the current talent on the roster, and who’s ready to step up this year?

5. T Sam Tevi

This offseason, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco and the organization appeared to get the best of a surprising trade in March with the Carolina Panthers. The Bolts sent veteran left tackle Russell Okung (who played and started in only six games in 2019) to Charlotte for talented guard Trai Turner, the latter of which was named to the last five Pro Bowls. There was also more news in regards to the offensive line, as the club also signed veteran right tackle Bryan Bulaga, who spent 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

So who takes over for Okung on the left side? There are plenty of options. “We may still yet bring someone in or we may let Bulaga go over there or Sam Tevi go over there,” said Anthony Lynn to Gilbert Manzano of the Los Angeles Daily News earlier this month. “We have some good pieces to work with. Even Trent Scott played over there some last year. So those guys are young and they learned a lot last year…”

A 2017 sixth-round draft choice from the University of Utah, Tevi has been the main man at right tackle and has made 31 starts the past two seasons, including a pair of playoff contests. Could a switch to the other side result in getting the best out of the three-year pro?