Heading into 2026, the Los Angeles Chargers are going to need production from virtually every component of their defense.
In the secondary, all three of Donte Jackson, Tarheeb Still, and Cam Hart are going to need to step up to compensate for the departure of Benjamin St-Juste, who still doesn't have a clear replacement after his departure to the Green Bay Packers in free agency. As Genesis Smith competes for snaps alongside RJ Mickens and Tony Jefferson, the combined production of the safety room will be highly integral as well— at least as far as it frees up Derwin James Jr. to play the nickel/dime role in which he's been employed the past couple seasons.
But their greatest uncertainties still lie in the edge rusher room. Under new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, the Chargers' ability to consistently accrue pressure, especially with the blitz, will take on an even greater importance than it did under Minter.
With Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu as the team's primary pass rushers, they should be able to count on a consistent stream of pressure. Toss in Akheem Mesidor and his alignment versatility across the D-line, and there's a real recipe for success brewing there.
But as last season evidenced, Los Angeles needs production from their full corps of pass rushers. If Kyle Kennard is able to hang onto his roster spot this offseason, he could soon shock the league with his capability for production.
Kyle Kennard is on the roster bubble— but if he sticks, he has a real chance to turn things around
It's important to first acknowledge the reality that Kennard must face in training camp. The Chargers likely only want to carry five edge rushers into 2026, and UDFA Nadame Tucker— who has history with O'Leary at Western Michigan— will be pushing for a roster spot.
Given the fact that Kennard was just selected in fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it seems unlikely that Los Angeles will want to cut bait that quickly. But he did spend most of his rookie season as a healthy scratch, and Bud Dupree provides an additional veteran presence the coaching staff might value.
Assuming Kennard sticks, though, there's a real chance he provides consistent pass-rushing upside as a rotational edge. In his final season at the University of South Carolina, Kennard was highly productive, posting 11.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss across 12 games. He posted a pass-rush grade of 80.7, per Pro Football Focus' system, during that campaign.
He struggles as a run defender and a pure power rusher, but there's some real upside there in terms of his agility and elusiveness against opposing offensive tackles. O'Leary has stated that he wants to give his defensive front the opportunity to play wider, and Kennard can be truly maximized in a wide-9 technique— giving him space and time to elude the protection before he needs to leverage his physicality.
In certain scenarios, there will be ways for O'Leary to dial up pressures for Kennard, and that can make him a real weapon on the Los Angeles defense.
To this point, almost everyone outside (and even some inside) of the Chargers fandom has forgotten about Kennard. But if he can stick as a rotational pass rusher on this year's roster, he has a path to skyrocketing his opportunities and production— at least in comparison to his silent rookie campaign.
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