WATCH: Former Vol Josh Palmer scores first NFL touchdown
Rookie wide receiver Josh Palmer has been turning heads in Los Angeles Chargers fall camp. From reporters to his teammates, people can’t stop gushing about how impressive the former Tennessee wideout has looked.
On Sunday night, Chargers fans got a glimpse of what everybody else has been talking about, as Palmer caught his first NFL touchdown pass from backup quarterback Easton Stick.
Check out the video below on Twitter, courtesy of PFF.
Palmer was wide open in the back of the end zone. It was a great job of Stick by rolling to his right, pump faking twice, and releasing the football at the last second before defenders could close in.
Nice work by Stick to put just enough air under the football to allow Palmer to dive and scoop his arms underneath the football.
Impressing in fall camp
Palmer’s precise route running has earned praise from four-time Pro Bowl receiver, Keenan Allen, who happens to be one of the best route runners in the NFL.
Here are a few quotes from Allen, in a write-up by Zach Ragan of AtoZSportsNashville.
“Josh is doing a very good job, with as young as he is and how he’s able to run routes,” Allen said this week (via Chargers.com). “He’s aggressive, he’s friendly with the quarterbacks, and he’s precise.
“That’s a good thing from a rookie. He’s polished. You can tell he’s polished and knows what to do. He obviously knows releases, he knows leverage. He just knows how to run routes already.”
For a veteran like Allen to compliment a rookie’s route running, that’s one of the best compliments any rookie receiver in the NFL can get.
Check out the practice footage below on Palmer’s crisp route running:
Many members of the media are expecting Palmer to play a crucial role in the Chargers offense this season.
Senior Bowl Standout
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and many others were raving about Palmer’s performance at the Senior Bowl, where he shined early and often in Mobile, Alabama.
“The former Vol star helped himself as much as any prospect on Tuesday,” Jeremiah wrote at the time. “He looked smooth and fluid in one-on-ones. He was able to get over the top of coverage and tracked the ball well. There wasn’t a lot of buzz about him coming into the week, but I thought he was really consistent today. I have him penciled in for the Rounds 3-4 range right now.”
Palmer played well in the Senior Bowl game, too, hauling in a touchdown catch from quarterback Kellen Mond.
Here is a clip of Palmer’s touchdown catch in the Senior Bowl.
For his entire Tennessee career, Palmer caught 99 passes for 1,514 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He also hauled in 25 receptions of 20-plus yards or more over his final three seasons in Knoxville. He’s a native of Brampton, Ontario, in Canada.