Chargers RB Depth Chart: Where Gus Edwards, JK Dobbins and Kimani Vidal stand in the running back room
The Chargers are entering the 2024 NFL season with a completely new look.
Los Angeles will usher in the Jim Harbaugh era after poaching the reigning head coach of national college football champions Michigan in the offseason.
Harbaugh is working with an entirely new Chargers running back room. Longtime starter Austin Ekeler signed with the Commanders this offseason and the team decided not to re-sign backup Joshua Kelley, who is still a free agent.
In their place, Los Angeles signed Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins, two players who played for the Ravens under Harbaugh’s brother John.
Who will be the Chargers’ RB1 next season? The Sporting News takes a closer look at the roster below.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Chargers RB Depth Chart
| role | player |
| starter | Gus Edwards, JK Dobbins |
| RB2 | — |
| RB3 | Kimani Vidal |
1. Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins
The Chargers have listed Edwards and Dobbins as co-RB1s in their official rankings. While it’s unorthodox, the tie makes sense given their two different running styles.
Edwards is known as “Gus Bus” for a reason. At 6’1″ and 235 pounds, he’s more of a power back between the tackles. Edwards was a touchdown machine for the Ravens in 2023. Raheem Mostert (18 rushing touchdowns) and AP Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey (14) were the only two running backs with more rushing touchdowns than Edwards’ 13 last season.
The goal-line specialist managed a streak of five consecutive one-point games in 2023 and reached the end zone nine times during that time.
Dobbins is more of a speedback, making him lightning compared to Edwards’ thunder.
The former second-round pick from Ohio State’s NFL career has been marred by injuries so far. After a promising rookie season in which he rushed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns, Dobbins missed the entire 2021 season due to a torn ACL and all but eight games of the 2022 season due to a torn hamstring.
Last year, Dobbins was again plagued by injury and missed the entire season after tearing his Achilles tendon in Baltimore’s first game.
Dobbins is back and relatively healthy, and he will look to add some momentum to the Chargers’ defense.
PPR Ranking 2024
Top 250 Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF/ST | K
2. Not applicable
With Edwards and Dobbins tied at the top of the rankings, the Chargers do not have an RB2 listed.
3. Kimani Vidal
Vidal is the Chargers’ only backup running back after the team released Jaret Patterson. Los Angeles selected Vidal in the sixth round (pick No. 181) out of Troy in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The rookie is a pass catcher and speedback who rushed for 4,010 yards and 33 touchdowns in four college seasons. He also had 92 pass catches for 700 yards and one touchdown.
Due to Dobbins’s checkered health history, Vidal has become a popular fantasy sleeper due to his ability to fill the variety role behind Edwards.
