SAN DIEGO -- The ascension of Tyrell Williams is an example of two things: the hard work put in by the third-year pro out of Western Oregon and the ability of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to elevate the performance of players around him.

With Keenan Allen and Stevie Johnson lost for the year due to season-ending knee injuries, Williams led the Chargers in 2016 with a career-high 69 receptions for 1,059 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Williams has game-changing speed and the ability to win contested catches.

“He’s tall with long arms and has really, really excellent speed,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said about Williams. “To get vertical on us, crossing routes, he can run away from people. His route running has really improved. He’s done a lot of work with that. He’s physically gifted, but he works really hard at it.

“With the Keenan injury, which was such a downer for us, the one positive fact was it got Tyrell a little accelerated. It got him some more catches. We think we see what we have there.”

Much like Tyrell Williams, Clemson product Mike Williams would provide the Chargers with another talented playmaker to make Rivers’ job easier, along with some insurance at the receiver group with Allen and Johnson returning from injury.

Williams measured in at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds at the NFL scouting combine but choose not to run the 40-yard dash. Williams will wait to run at his pro day on March 16.

Williams told reporters in Indianapolis that he met with the Chargers at the combine, and that makes sense because he fits the team’s preference of providing big targets for Rivers.

If the Chargers draft Mike Williams, Rivers could have a five-receiver set that included Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry, Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams -- with no player under 6-foot-2. That’s a tough matchup for any defense on third down and in the red zone.

“I'm a big, physical receiver,” Mike Williams said. “I can go get the deep ball, I'm going to block on the edge. I just do it all in one.”

Williams is appealing because of his playmaking ability and production. He finished with 98 catches for 1,361 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns his final season at Clemson.

The Chargers struggled to move the ball consistently in the second half of the season with Allen out, and Williams could help in that regard.

However, Williams could be a luxury the Chargers cannot afford at No. 7, with more obvious needs at safety and offensive line.