As the Los Angeles Chargers exit OTAs, it seems as though their final roster is finally starting to take shape.
Kayode Awosika has led the competition for the starting left guard spot to this point, although both Jake Slaughter and Trevor Penning have rotated in for some first-team reps. RJ Mickens has apparently impressed this offseason, and he could be slated to take on a larger role in the secondary. Even Mike McDaniel's close work with the receiving corps, and especially Quentin Johnston, is worth taking note of.
Developments will now be on pause until the start of mandatory mini-camp on June 16.
But a clear position battle on the defense remains an overlooked storyline for the Chargers this offseason. With the departure of Benjamin St-Juste, Los Angeles needs to determine who is going to take his snaps. Even though we've heard very little about the position battle at outside cornerback, we can, at the very least, make a set of safe assumptions.
Donte Jackson, Tarheeb Still, and Cam Hart will be the Chargers' primary trio at the position. Outside of that, though, it doesn't seem like either Nikko Reed or special-teams contributor Deane Leonard has made a strong case yet to take over the role.
As Los Angeles gets closer to training camp, therefore, it's starting to seem like an outside addition might be their best shot at effectively filling that gap.
Lack of updates on Chargers' outside cornerback competition leaves the door open for a veteran free-agent signing
The Chargers' need at outside cornerback isn't a dire one, nor is it one that should define the remainder of the offseason. But St-Juste took 37% of the team's defensive snaps in 2025, and that's a number that needs to be accounted for heading into 2026.
Los Angeles does have a couple internal options. Nikko Reed cracked the roster as a UDFA last offseason, and he's shown a certain measure of promise as a capable coverage piece during his time with the organization. But he's seen little on-field opportunity so far, playing in just five games and taking a total of 50 defensive snaps during his rookie season. As of now, he's slated to be the Chargers' backup nickel, complementing Derwin James in that role. There's a chance that UDFA Avery Smith out of Toledo challenges him for that spot. But Smith also does not project as an immediately viable outside corner.
Leonard, meanwhile, has become an important special-teams contributor for Los Angeles across his four NFL seasons. While there's certainly some room for him to compete for St-Juste's role, there haven't been any updates yet about what kind of impression he's made on the coaching staff through OTAs.
With no tangible updates, it's hard to believe that one of these players has done much to give themselves a headstart in this competition.
The Chargers, for their part, are likely waiting until training camp to have a fuller picture of their needs before grabbing one of the remaining cornerbacks on the market. Virtually all of the top available players at the position— including L'Jarius Sneed, Rasul Douglas, and Adoree' Jackson— will still be there for the taking at that time.
But the closer we get to the start of the season, the more it feels like Los Angeles will need to reach for outside help to fill that need.
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