It might not be an NFL Sunday with the octobox on our screens, but NFL training camp is at least enough to satiate our thirst while all the kiddos return back to school. As far as the LA Chargers are concerned, the first two weeks of camp have revealed a lot about what this team looks like with two new coordinators.
Mike McDaniel is reworking the entire Chargers offense and if all goes well, the pairing alongside Justin Herbert can yield legitimate success on a team and individual level. Chris O'Leary is taking over for Jesse Minter, who left for Baltimore this offseason, and is looking to pick up where his mentor left off.
Some Chargers players have naturally embraced all the change in the air and have grown their stock over the first two weeks of training camp. Others have gone a different direction. There's still plenty of time before Week 1, including three preseason games, but here are the players who are catching our eye for better or worse.
4 winners and 3 losers from the first two weeks of Chargers training camp:
Winner: Omarion Hampton (and his fantasy owners)
As exciting as a McDaniel offense can be in the passing game, it's rooted in running the football. That's why the Chargers went out and signed a blocking tight end, a proper full back, and added guards who fit this vision even if they aren't the best pass blockers.
The Chargers will run the offense from the inside out, giving Omarion Hampton a real opportunity to catapult himself into the best running back in the league conversation. We all know Hampton has the skill set to be a dangerous back, and as long as he stays healthy, he will rack up the stats.
Hampton has already given fantasy football players every reason to draft him in camp with his comments about McDaniel's offense. The Chargers are turning to Hampton to be the engine of the entire offense, and with how naturally talented he is, that should yield great results.
Loser: Jake Slaughter (and his draft defenders)
The Chargers took center Jake Slaughter in the second round of the NFL Draft with the intention of playing him at left guard, or so it seemed. Slaughter had never played left guard in his career, and the idea of a rookie making that transition as he gets used to NFL speed was daunting.
Well, it looks like it's going to take longer than his biggest fans may have expected for him to make an impact. Slaughter has primarily worked with the backup offensive line during camp and has seen some truly surprising names getting first-team reps over him at left guard.
Could Slaughter still be the center of the future for the Chargers? Sure. A draft pick isn't judged on their rookie season alone. But for a team with Super Bowl hopes and a limited window, maybe it would have been better to draft someone who could have an impact right away as well as long-term potential.
Winner: Justin Eboigbe
It's not uncommon for a day-three pick to make no difference in their rookie season before blossoming in front of our eyes (and yes, this is more acceptable with a fourth-round pick than a second-round pick). That is the timeline Justin Eboigbe is on, and it's hard not to be excited about his potential after his showing in camp thus far.
Eboigbe hardly played his rookie season before becoming a surprise difference-maker in his sophomore campaign. The second-year defensive lineman was a rotational piece who only played 40% of the team's defensive snaps, yet he managed to pick up six sacks on the year.
Eboigbe looks even better heading into his third season and there is so much talent around him that other teams have to focus on. If Eboigbe truly takes the next step he is capable of, the Chargers' defensive line has the potential to be the deepest and most talented in the entire league. That typically creates a Super Bowl contender.
Loser: Junior Colson
Have you heard much about 2024 third-round pick Junior Colson? That right there should tell you everything you need to know.
Colson is entering a make-or-break year where the Chargers could genuinely give up on him if he doesn't show up and deliver. And unfortunately for him, he is in a linebacker room where there are two bona fide starters ahead of him and a breakout in the wings in Marlowe Wax.
Wax has emerged as a name to watch in Chargers training camp and even from the limited reps we are seeing in practice he appears to have more juice and punch than Colson. It's hard to watch this clip from ESPN's Kris Rhim and not see Colson as the least exciting in the room.
Chargers LBs pic.twitter.com/xB52eWuBBK
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) August 6, 2026
In reality, the preseason games are far more important for Colson than training camp practices. The Chargers really need to see if he can be a plus player at legitimate NFL game speed. While we have not given up on Colson in the slightest, we aren't betting on him to be one of the standouts of the preseason based on his training camp.
Winner: Brenen Thompson
The speedster that pretty much every Chargers fan wanted the team to draft has proven why he was so desired in the first place. Whether it be big-time catches in 11-on-11 or how he has been raved about by his peers, all signs are pointing up for the rookie fourth-round pick.
We know McDaniel loves speed at the wide receiver position and Thompson brings a level of speed not seen in Los Angeles in years. We saw what Justin Herbert could do with a receiver like Jalen Guyton, just imagine what he can do with a speedster that has even more upside.
I would still refrain from expecting too much out of Thompson from a bulk production standpoint in his rookie season. Even at his best, he will be the WR4 for the Bolts. But even in that role, Thompson can be on the receiving end of quite a few Justin Herbert bombs in 2026.
Loser: KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Last year's training camp darling has been a bit M-I-A this year. KeAndre Lambert-Smith finally made a highlight-reel catch in Monday's practice but that has really been the only thing he has done thus far in camp of note.
On paper, KLS should be happy about the developments in Los Angeles. The Chargers reportedly have no interest in adding a veteran wide receiver to the roster, which seemingly shows faith in KLS' ability to make a difference.
The problem is that he is the WR5 at best and might be even lower on the totem pole if Derius Davis wins the returner job, which he is on track to do. Tre' Harris and Quentin Johnston have been showing up at camp, and with Thompson's emergence, Lambert-Smith has been a bit of an afterthought.
With the increased emphasis on the tight end position and the team having a proper fullback, it wouldn't be the most surprising thing in the world if the Bolts only carry five wideouts on the 53-man roster and KLS gets left out. He needs to ball out in the preseason to convince them otherwise.
Winner: Branson Taylor
Branson Taylor was an afterthought heading into camp, and he has suddenly emerged as a legitimate candidate to start at left guard for the Bolts. Trey Pipkins and Kayode Awosika are the main competition for the starting left guard role, but Taylor is firmly in the mix.
Any of those three players could be included as a winner, even if it's a bit disappointing that this is where the Chargers are at left guard. Taylor gets the distinction, though, as he has shown the most growth year-to-year from his rookie campaign.
Are we feeling good about Taylor potentially being the starting left guard given the resources the Chargers had in the offseason? Not really. But he has shown some growth in camp. If that translates to success at NFL speed, then who are we to judge? As long as Herbert gets a starting-caliber left guard, we are happy.
The preseason will ultimately decide which, if any, of the three left guard options are starting-caliber. Right now, the most buzz is around Taylor.
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