As the Los Angeles Chargers enter Week 3 of training camp, we're starting to get a clearer picture of how certain battles across the roster are unfolding.
Of course, the Chargers still have three preseason games to play and plenty of time between now and Aug. 30— when the 53-man rosters need to be set. In that time, they'll have some difficult decisions to make. If UDFA pass rusher Nadame Tucker is going to make the roster, they're going to need to cut either Bud Dupree or Kyle Kennard. If Derius Davis defends his spot as the return man, there's a real chance that second-year receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith is the odd man out on the offense.
At the same time, though, there are players who we can already project as being destined for the practice squad— either because of their lack of flashes in practice or because of the roster developments around them. There are the obvious ones, like some of the less-anticipated UDFAs Los Angeles added this offseason.
But here are five players who, while they stood a fighting chance at one point, will likely need to wait until next season to get a true crack at the 53-man.
5 clear cut candidates as the Chargers enter preseason action
1. Lander Barton, LB
Barton likely has the production and the athletic pedigree to crack a 53-man roster somewhere in the NFL. Although he lacks a desirable amount of short-area quickness, he plays with intensity and consistency both against the run and in pass coverage. In his final college season at the University of Utah, Barton posted 55 combined tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks across 13 games.
But with Marlowe Wax and Del'Shawn Phillips already threatening to push third-year defender Junior Colson off the roster, there's simply no path for Barton— even if he impresses in preseason action.
2. Alex Harkey, OG
The Chargers nabbed Alex Harkey and Logan Taylor just four selections apart in the sixth-round of this year's Draft. With Branson Taylor competing for starting reps at left guard, he seems like a lock to make the roster. That likely leaves both Harkey and Logan Taylor with outside shots to land a depth guard role on the 53-man.
The reason Harkey is on this list over his draft counterpart is because of his athletic profile. He played tackle at the college level, but his lack of length and true anchor are likely to push him to the inside— he's not entirely steady in his footwork, and he still has a lot of development to do in his ability to match up with more powerful pass rushers. It seems like there might be a spot for only one of Los Angeles' two sixth-round selections, and Logan Taylor seems like the better bet at this point.
3. Josh Kaltenberger, C
Josh Kaltenberger, whom the Chargers added as a UDFA last offseason out of Maryland, faces the same issue as Harkey. There are currently 14 offensive linemen on the Chargers' 90-man roster, and that number will likely be cut down to just nine or 10 by the time we reach the start of the season.
If Jake Slaughter doesn't win the starting left guard job, it's likely that he'll function as the backup center to start his rookie season. Cole Strange, who's slated to start at right guard, also has experience at the position.
But even if the Chargers choose to carry a backup center, UDFA Jacob Spomer has taken the bulk of the third-team snaps at the position, meaning that he likely has the job locked up if it's truly available.
4. Kendall Williamson, S
Williamson made the 53-man roster last season as a special teams contributor, and he ultimately appeared in all 17 games for the Chargers. Perhaps Los Angeles finds a way to finagle a roster spot for Williamson considering his importance to that unit.
But they already have five safeties set to make the roster in Derwin James Jr., Elijah Molden, RJ Mickens, Tony Jefferson, and Genesis Smith. There's also a battle being waged in the cornerback room, with Eric Rogers pushing for a larger role and UDFAs Avery Smith and Rodney Shelley having been among the true risers of training camp so far.
It's not a storyline that's been discussed much, but it's hard to see a guaranteed path for Williamson to stick in that crowded DB room.
5. DJ Uiagalelei, QB
Uiagalelei's chance to make the roster was always an outside one. He would either need to displace the current backup, Trey Lance, in training camp or the Chargers would need to carry three quarterbacks onto their 53-man— which they last did in 2022 with Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, and Easton Stick.
But Uiagalelei has had a relatively quiet camp, and Lance has consistently taken all of the second-team QB reps and participated in dual quarterback passing drills next to Herbert. It's likely that Uiagalelei is a practice squad stash again this season with a real chance to disrupt things in 2027 when Lance becomes a free agent again.
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