The Chargers 2026 regular-season opener is on the horizon.

With the league set to kick off a new season in less than a week, ESPN recently unveiled their annual ranking of the league's top 100 players.

The list is a projection of who ESPN believes will be the best when the 2026 season is over.

Their rankings are based on predicting potential greatness rather than past performance and were compiled after votes by 12 NFL analysts and reporters.

The highest member of the Chargers on the list was none other than quarterback Justin Herbert, who is coming off his second Pro Bowl honor and was ranked No. 32.

A new Offensive Coordinator in Mike McDaniel has many thinking the potential for Herbert is high in 2026.

ESPN's Kris Rhim wrote:

After a year in which Herbert set career highs in interceptions and quarterback hits, he gets a new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, whose stated goal is to make life easier for his quarterback. With McDaniel, one of the league's most respected offensive minds, it would be no surprise if Herbert has a career-year.

Herbert moved up slightly in the rankings from a year ago when he appeared in the rankings at No. 35.

And in their projections for his stats in 2026, they predicted Herbert would throw for 3,850 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go along with 406 rushing yards and two scores. That would be more passing yards and less interceptions than a season ago.

The Chargers franchise quarterback wasn't the only player to move up, as the All-Pro safety Derwin James, Jr. also made a big jump in this year's edition.

James checked in as the 51^st player in the rankings after being 89^th a year ago.

After another Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro appearance, the arrow continues to point up for the Chargers gamechanger.

Rhim wrote:

James earned his fourth All-Pro honor last season, and the Chargers rewarded him by making him the highest-paid safety in NFL history for the second time. James isn't showing any signs of decline; he tied his career high with three interceptions in 2025, and he will have a similarly big nickel role in new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary's scheme.

The ESPN projections also have James hitting higher marks than his last two high-level seasons.

They have James projected for 106 tackles, eight passes defensed, two interceptions, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble. It would be his highest tackle and pass defensed total in a number of years.

The final two members of the Bolts on the list weren't ranked a season ago but enter this year with some high expectations along the offensive line.

Joe Alt landed at No. 86 as the right tackle enters Year 3 as one of the most important members of McDaniel's offense.

Rhim wrote:

Alt was perhaps the Chargers' best player not named Justin Herbert last season despite playing only six games due to injury. Los Angeles went 4-0 when Alt played the full game and 2-3 when he didn't, and Herbert had an 80 QBR with Alt on the field and a 56 QBR without him. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has always thrived with elite tackles, and Alt should continue to be that this season.

According to ESPN Research, since the start of the 2024 season, Alt has the third-highest pass block win rate among offensive tackles (94.5 percent) and trails just two other tackles.

Not too far behind him was left tackle Rashawn Slater, who is back in 2026 after missing all of last season with a knee injury.

Slater finished 10th in ESPN's run-block win rate (78.6 percent) and 22nd in pass-block win rate (90.7 percent) among qualifying tackles in 2024, and now aims to show why he's among the league's elite tackles.

Rhim wrote:

Slater missed all of last season with a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee. Through training camp, he looks like the Pro Bowl version of himself at left tackle, but the true determination will be when the season starts. Slater has already missed practice time this offseason due to a flare-up, so it will be something to watch as he tries to reestablish himself as one of the best players at his position.