Ekeler faces competition for the backup role after the Chargers selected Justin Jackson in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Jackson finished his senior season at Northwestern as the school's all-time leading rusher, earning at least 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons as a starter. He figures to be healthy competition for Ekeler after the latter's surprisingly productive rookie season. The undrafted free agent is easily the better pass-catching threat of the two, but Ekeler's diminutive stature (5-foot-9, 195 pounds) might open the door for Jackson to wiggle in as the team's No. 2 running back, similar to how the Chargers utilized the since departed Branden Oliver.