For the most part, we know where the main points of intrigue lie for the Los Angeles Chargers during training camp.
Jake Slaughter, Kayode Awosika, and Trevor Penning (along with Trey Pipkins III and Branson Taylor, apparently) will be competing for the starting left guard spot. Junior Colson is defending his spot on the 53-man roster from special teams contributors Marlowe Wax and Del'Shawn Phillips. UDFA pass rusher Nadame Tucker has a chance to displace either Bud Dupree or Kyle Kennard in the outside linebacker room.
But the month of August is always capable of yielding surprises. Here are three players that could soon be making an unlikely push for the 53-man roster over the next couple of weeks.
3 players who are mounting an unlikely case for the Chargers' 53-man roster
1. Avery Smith, CB
Smith, who spent four years at Toledo and took over as a starting outside corner after the departure of Quinyon Mitchell, has been a prospect to watch since he was picked up as a UDFA by the Chargers this offseason.
There's a concerning lack of prototypical length for the position there, but Smith has solid coverage instincts and a distinct feel for the ball in the open field. Kris Rhim at ESPN noted him as one of the most impressive performers on Day 5 of training camp as the team prepared for padded practices.
As of now, it seems as though Deane Leonard, Eric Rogers, and Nikko Reed have the final three cornerback spots locked up behind Donte Jackson, Cam Hart, and Tarheeb Still. Leonard will continue to play his special teams role, while Rogers likely has first crack at the outside corner vacancy left behind by Benjamin St-Juste.
Smith's path to the roster likely lies through displacing Reed, who played just 17% of defensive snaps across five games last season, as the backup nickel behind Derwin James Jr. If he's able to continue impressing in camp, that will be a storyline to watch.
2. Jacob Spomer, C
Spomer's case for the roster is interesting as well. The Chargers picked up the center as a UDFA, and he has the athletic and fundamentally sound profile that Mike McDaniel and Butch Barry have demanded in their re-shaping of the interior offensive line. He allowed just seven pressures and zero sacks across 408 pass-blocking snaps in his final season at Fresno State, per Pro Football Focus.
Spomer's path to the roster is ultimately out of his hands, however. If Slaughter doesn't win the starting left guard job, he'll start the season as the team's backup center behind Tyler Biadasz. Right guard Cole Strange also has experience at the position. There's a chance the Chargers don't need to carry a bona fide backup center onto the 53-man roster in 2026.
But Spomer took third-team offensive line reps ahead of last year's UDFA Josh Kaltenberger, so it appears he has a lead in any brewing competition for now.
3. Peter Bowden, LS
It's certainly difficult to evaluate a long snapper competition from the outside. But the Chargers added Bowden, who spent last season with the team's practice squad after stints in 2024 with the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars organizations, as a corresponding move with the release of guard Ben Cleveland.
As of now, Josh Harris is the starting long snapper, and he's held that position in Los Angeles since 2022. But he appeared in just eight games last season as he dealt with a chest injury, and there could be room for some intrigue here as a result.
Bowden is a practice-squad addition in all likelihood. But it's worth keeping an eye on these two pieces over the remainder of training camp.
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