The LA Chargers and Detroit Lions kick off the 2025 NFL season with the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday. While the league is still a long way away from football games that actually matter, the first preseason game of the year is still something to celebrate.
While the game will mostly be filled with backups and third-string players, there are still several notable players on both sides that will be suiting up. For the Chargers specifically, fans can learn a lot about the upcoming roster construction based on the early impressions from the Hall of Fame Game.
The Hall of Fame Game alone won't decide the 53-man roster, but it will be far more revealing than training camp practices. Let's dive into the Chargers who can impact the roster the most.
5 Chargers to watch during the Hall of Fame game:
Omarion Hampton
Jim Harbaugh confirmed that the team's 2025 first-round pick will play in the Hall of Fame Game, although it unclear the extent to which he plays. Hampton will be an important member of the Chargers in 2025 so it is safe to say the Bolts will limit him to a series or two.
Usually, the biggest storylines in the Hall of Fame Game revolve around backend roster players who are fighting for a chance to make the team. That's not the case with Hampton, whose place is even more locked in stone after Najee Harris' eye injury.
Instead, the buzz around watching Hampton in the powder blue is solely to see how special he looks at the NFL level. The former UNC back has all the tools to be one of the best backs in the league in his rookie season and the Hall of Fame Game is step one.
Oronde Gadsden II
Oronde Gadsden II has become one of the most talked-about players in all of Chargers training camp. The fifth-round tight end is winning fans over with his work ethic and the constant highlights he is turning in during passing drills.
There is a real case to be made that Gadsden is already the most talented pass-catching tight end on the roster. Better yet, his blocking does not appear to be the concern that Chargers fans thought it would be, which could result in him getting much more playing time as a whole in 2025.
Gadsden needs to take this hype and carry it over into a game setting. With a strong showing in the limited number of snaps he will play, Gadsden will prove whether or not he has any chance of climbing above the TE3 spot on the depth chart.
Ja'Sir Taylor
It seemed inevitable that Ja'Sir Taylor would be a roster casualty before training camp started. Taylor has struggled throughout his NFL career and with an influx of talent in the secondary, the 2022 sixth-round pick was clearly the odd man out.
The conversation around Taylor has since changed. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter had nothing but great things to say about Taylor and the improvements he has made year-over-year, which suddenly opened the door for the defensive back to make the roster.
Chargers fans won't fully buy this hype until they actually see Taylor in game action. Taylor has put together good showings at practice only to lose all his momentum during the preseason with poor in-game performance. If he does that again, Taylor won't make the roster.
One preseason game won't decide his fate either way, but starting the preseason with a strong showing in the Hall of Fame Game would be massive.
Kyle Kennard
The reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year will be suiting up in the Hall of Fame Game with a chance to prove he should have never fallen to the Chargers in the fourth round. Kennard has legitimate pass-rush upside and, despite being fourth on the depth chart in his rookie season, can quickly emerge as a difference-maker on the defensive front.
Kennard fell to the Chargers in the fourth round due to his inherently lower long-term ceiling due to his age and athletic frame. However, as the NFL proves every season, top producers in college will produce in the NFL. They all figure out a way.
Watch Kennard closely as he gets off the line in Thursday's game. Fans should get an idea of just how productive Kennard can be in 2025.
Zion Johnson
Zion Johnson may be the most important player for Chargers fans to watch against the Lions. Johnson seems to be stuck in no man's land as he floats between left guard and center without impressing at either spot.
Harbaugh said that traditional veteran starters won't be playing in the Hall of Fame game, which makes it even worse that Johnson is starting at center. The coaching staff undoubtedly wants data collection on Johnson, hence why he is playing, but it's not a good look when he is starting and other starters aren't playing at all.
It's unclear if Johnson will start at center, start at left guard, or start at all. Thursday's Hall of Fame Game will be the first step in getting some clarity.