Grading Chargers' second-round selection of WR Tre Harris

Travis Wakeman

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Grading Chargers' second-round selection of WR Tre Harris image

The Los Angeles Chargers followed up their selection of a running back in the first round with a wide receiver in the second. Tre Harris, a big-bodied pass catcher from Ole Miss, was taken with the No. 55 overall selection. 

Though the Chargers were connected to many wide receivers in this draft, Tre Harris was not really one of them. In the end, he was the pick of Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh and he joins a roster that needs another option in the passing game. That was never more evident than in the Wild Card round of the playoffs in a loss to the Houston Texans, where Ladd McConkey was the only player who did anything for the team in the passing game. 

Harris is a good route runner for his size and his big frame is what the Chargers are looking for in this offense. The Chargers wanted to trade for DK Metcalf this offseason but lost out when he was scooped up by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harris gives the team what it was looking for in that move. 

 

Harris was a transfer from Louisiana Tech following the 2022 season where he caught 65 passes for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns. After coming to Ole Miss, and facing better competition, those numbers remained consistent. He had at least seven touchdown receptions in each of his three final college seasons. 

In Los Angeles, he will be given the chance to be the team's top playmaker on the outside. Though the team has Mike Williams and Quentin Johnston on the roster, both of them have been wildly inconsistent in their careers. Harris puts both players, particularly Johnston, on notice. 

Harris gives the team a serious deep threat and with the arm strength of Justin Herbert, it could quickly become a potent combination. 

The Chargers needed offensive difference makers in this draft and they have found two of them in the first two rounds of this draft without having to make any trades and just allowing the board to come to them. This is a solid pick for a team pushing toward major contender status. 

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Grade: B+

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.