Austin Ekeler

Melvin Gordon's holdout last season opened the door for Ekeler to show what he could do in a consistent lead role, and he racked up 490 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns in the first four games before Gordon slunk back on to the roster. Ekeler's usage fell after that, but he still had moments to shine later in the year, including a 213-yard eruption against the Jaguars in Week 14. Heading into his fourth NFL season, the undrafted rookie out of Western State Colorado seems set as the Chargers' new No. 1 back with Gordon now a Bronco, giving Ekeler his chance to dispel the notion - once and for all - that he's only a passing-down specialist. His agility and low pad level have always made him difficult to bring down on first contact, and his broken tackle rate was 14th in the league among backs with at least 100 carries - comparable to bulky runners like Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram. Ekeler may need to find extra production on the ground, however, as Philip Rivers' departure for Indianapolis will give the Bolts offense a different look this season. The scheme won't change with offensive coordinator Shane Steichen returning, but Rivers' penchant for flipping passes to his backs is legendary - something that neither Tyrod Taylor nor Justin Herbert is likely to match. Ekeler will hope to make up for it with additional rushing volume and potentially more snaps, taking the lead over Justin Jackson and rookie fourth-round pick Joshua Kelley in the Chargers backfield.

Ekeler continued to impress for the Chargers in 2018, finishing just shy of 1,000 scrimmage yards despite missing two games late in the season with a concussion. He gets typecast as a scatback due to his size, but Ekeler has more than proven himself on the ground --- he posted at least 5.2 YPC in both his NFL campaigns thanks to a low center of gravity and strong leg drive through contact. Ekeler has plus elusiveness and balance as well, allowing him to find extra yards in traffic even if he doesn't have breakaway speed. His 3.8 yards after contact per carry ranked second in the league to Nick Chubb's 4.3. Ekeler is not a natural receiver when it comes to running routes, but he has soft hands and any back with some skill will see plenty of targets from Philip Rivers. Ekeler is entrenched in the No. 2 spot behind Melvin Gordon, but with Gordon playing 16 games only once in his career, odds are good that Ekeler will find himself in a starting role at least a couple times in 2019. Those odds improved a step further when Gordon decided to hold out from training camp, hoping to gain leverage in negotiations for a contract extension. As a result, Ekeler and Justin Jackson are handling first-team reps during the early portion of training camp.

If there's one thing Philip Rivers likes, it's an undersized receiving back. Over the last decade, players like Darren Sproles and Danny Woodhead have built their careers running wheel routes around frustrated linebackers and providing a security blanket for the quarterback. Last year it was Ekeler's turn to fill that role, and while it took the undrafted rookie a while to earn Rivers' trust, by Week 10 he was an integral part of the Chargers' attack, catching 12 of 13 targets for 171 yards and two touchdowns over a four-game span before a broken finger cut short his productive run. At 5-10, 200, Ekeler isn't going to supplant Melvin Gordon on early downs, but he runs with some surprising power for his size and can contribute a bit on the ground, even if his bread-and-butter will always be catching passes and making defenders miss in space. The team drafted Justin Jackson in the seventh round to provide extra depth in the backfield, but if Ekeler stays healthy his role should only grow.

An undrafted rookie out of Division II Western State, the 195-pound Ekeler surprisingly survived roster cutdown day in early September, slotting in behind Melvin Gordon and Branden Oliver on the initial depth chart. The Chargers might still add more talent in the backfield, but if not, Ekeler could get some touches early in the season.