The Chargers have completed their first preseason game, defeating the Texans 27-7 on Thursday evening. It marked the first entry in LA’s competition to make the 53-man roster, with a few players flashing and making their case to stick around.
Let’s go through our early 53-man roster projection after Thursday’s game.
Quarterback: Justin Herbert, Trey Lance (2)
Lance didn’t play well on Thursday, but he still has to be assumed to be ahead of DJ Uiagalelei, who didn’t do anything notable enough to surpass Lance as of yet. It seems possible that the Chargers will seek an external backup quarterback, whether it’s JJ McCarthy of Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan teams or another option like Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. or Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Without planning for something as unpredictable as a cut-day trade, however, Lance should be penciled in as the backup to Herbert.
Running back: Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, Alec Ingold (FB), Kimani Vidal (4)
Jaret Patterson and Amar Johnson were impressive at times on Thursday, but they still feel clearly behind Vidal, whom the Chargers implied is behind Hampton and Mitchell in the pecking order by resting those two but playing Vidal against the Texans. The question about this room is much less about who will be in it and more about how reps will be split amongst them: offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has spread the wealth in the backfield for most of his career, but the split between Mitchell and Vidal after Hampton remains to be seen.
Wide receiver: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre’ Harris, Brenen Thompson, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Derius Davis (6)
Much like running back, it feels like there’s a clear drop-off from this group of six to the other five receivers on the Chargers roster. McConkey, Johnston, Harris, and Thompson should all have varying roles on offense. Lambert-Smith has been quiet in camp but was productive on Thursday and is likely only on the bubble if the Chargers need to keep fewer receivers to make room elsewhere. As of right now, Davis appears to be the starting punt returner, which keeps him on the roster as well.
Tight end: Charlie Kolar, David Njoku, Oronde Gadsden II (3)
Scott Matlock and Johnny Pascuzzi are the next men in this group after Gadsden, but both are more H-back types whose roles would be eclipsed by the addition of Ingold this offseason. Matlock has played some offensive tackle in camp, which is typically not what a player is doing if his chances of making the roster are good. All three of this group will be active on game day and should have roles in the offense, but depth will be a concern given Njoku’s injury history.
Offensive line: Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt, Tyler Biadasz, Cole Strange, Kayode Awosika, Jake Slaughter, Trey Pipkins III, Travis Burke, Branson Taylor (9)
Eight of these nine are easy cases to make. Slater, Alt, Biadasz, and Strange will be starters for the Chargers this season. Slaughter was the team’s second-round pick this offseason and may be the starting left guard. Pipkins is in that mix at guard as well, but will be the team’s swing tackle and potentially first man off the bench at any position besides center. Burke, the team’s fourth-round pick, is a developmental swing tackle. Awosika appears to have the inside track for the left guard job if Thursday is any indication, but even if he loses his grip on that job, he’d have to fall further down the depth chart to be on the roster bubble. Taylor seems like a safer bet to make it than Trevor Penning, both of whom are ostensibly in the left guard battle as well, both because Taylor started on Thursday while Penning came in for Awosika and because the Chargers may be able to flip Penning for a late-round draft pick at cuts more easily than they could with Taylor. This would also mean that both sixth-round picks, Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey, would go to waivers with the hope that they could return to the practice squad.
Defensive line: Teair Tart, Dalvin Tomlinson, Jamaree Caldwell, Justin Eboigbe, Nick Barrett (5)
This is another position room that feels settled. Tart, Caldwell, and Eboigbe all contributed to the Chargers last season and are expected to take their respective games to the next level this season. Tomlinson is a veteran presence at defensive tackle who can both replace Da’Shawn Hand’s role and add some leadership to the room. Fifth-round rookie Barrett will likely be assigned to follow Tomlinson around all season with the intention of the rookie taking over that role as early as next season. TeRah Edwards, Jahmeer Carter, and Jacobian Guillory all looked good on Thursday, however, so the battle for practice squad spots will be fierce. All three would need to elevate their games in the next two weeks to force LA to keep a sixth defensive tackle.
Edge rusher: Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Akheem Mesidor, Bud Dupree, Kyle Kennard (5)
The top four of this group is set now that Dupree got a veteran rest day on Thursday, so the only questions remaining have to do with Tuipulotu’s potential contract extension and whether or not the Chargers will keep a fifth pass rusher. Right now, Kennard has a slight edge for that role primarily because Tucker’s connection to defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary probably gives LA a better chance of keeping the rookie on the practice squad if he clears waivers. Both Kennard and Tucker need to take a step forward to make the roster emphatically; however, they were both quiet on Thursday.
Linebacker: Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, Troy Dye, Del’Shawn Phillips, Marlowe Wax (5)
Similar to the edge, the top four of this group are set. Henley and Perryman will play the bulk of the snaps while Dye splits time between defense and special teams. Phillips is a core special-teams player and can play defense if needed, and he and Dye were the starting defensive duo on Thursday. Wax and 2024 third-rounder Junior Colson were the next two on the field and are competing for that fifth spot, but I give the edge to Wax right now after he wore the green dot as the defensive signal-caller for that group on Thursday.
Cornerback: Derwin James Jr., Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, Donte Jackson, Deane Leonard, Avery Smith (6)
We’re going to count James as a corner because of his role in the nickel, but his positional designation doesn’t matter much for this exercise since he’s obviously a roster lock regardless. Still, Hart, and Jackson will rotate on the boundary as Hart and Jackson continue battling for the nominal starter designation alongside Still. Leonard is one of the team’s best special teamers, so that keeps him on board even if he hasn’t reached his potential as a defensive player. The sixth spot is between Smith, Nikko Reed, and Eric Rogers, but Smith has had a flashy camp and played the best of that trio on Thursday, so he gets the nod for now.
Safety: Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson, Genesis Smith, RJ Mickens, Kendall Williamson (5)
Eleven defensive backs may sound like a lot, and maybe one of these players ends up exiting in favor of a fourth tight end, tenth offensive lineman, or sixth defensive tackle, but at least two - Leonard and Williamson - will be on the roster essentially exclusively to play special teams. For Williamson, that makes him vulnerable in this spot, but he made the team last year, and the defensive depth chart hasn’t changed substantially since then. Jefferson appears to be safe for the first time since coming out of retirement after not playing on Thursday, so expect him and Molden to start on the back end when James is in the nickel. Smith and Mickens have both shown flashes but may need a bit more seasoning before they’re ready for major roles, but they’ll be valuable bit players and special teamers.
Specialists: Cameron Dicker, JK Scott, Josh Harris (3)
As expected. There’s only one other specialist on the roster at all, which is backup long snapper Peter Bowden, signed on July 28 to alleviate the 37-year-old Harris’ workload throughout training camp and the preseason.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers roster projection: Who is safe after the Texans game?