Chargers training camp gets underway this week. Minus holdout Tre Harris, all of the other rookies have reported. That includes a new crop of undrafted free agents that will be looking to make the 53-man roster.
In Jim Harbaugh's first year as head coach in 2024, none of the undrafted free agents were able to make the initial roster. The last UDFAs to make the initial 53-man roster for the Chargers were RB Elijah Dotson and S AJ Finley in 2023.
The Chargers have built out the depth of their roster this offseason through free agency and their nine draft selections. It will be tough for any of their undrafted players to make the roster as a result. But these are the three players who will have the best odds to do it.
The 3 Chargers UDFAs to keep an eye on:
RB Raheim Sanders
Raheim Sanders is pretty clearly the crown jewel of this Chargers UDFA class. He has the most guaranteed money on his contract of any of LA's UDFAs at $60,000. Both Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz have raved about him. At rookie minicamp, Sanders was excused from special teams and conditioning drills that the other undrafted free agents had to participate in. In a sense, the Chargers have treated him as their 10th draft pick.
Roster wise, there's also a path to him making the team in a competition setting. Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris (barring the reported eye injury becoming more of an issue) are the only locked in 53-man roster spots. Last year, the Chargers kept four with Vidal and Hassan Haskins being the final spots behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
With how much priority the organization has already given to their top undrafted free agent, beating out Vidal or Haskins doesn't seem unreasonable. It certainly isn't a given, but there is a path to it. That's especially true with the addition of an extra preseason game to help settle the final spots in the running back room.
Sanders is an explosive runner who has the size and intangibles that Harbaugh and Greg Roman like. How ready he is to contribute early on in training camp and the preseason will go a long way to determining his 53-man roster fate.
FB/TE Stevo Klotz
Stevo Klotz is the exact archetype of player that the Chargers tend to look for. His physicality and versatility pop off the screen when watching him play. Jim Harbaugh has said as much himself. When asked back in May if Klotz is a fullback or tight end, Harbaugh said this:
"Fullback, tight end and special teams," Harbaugh said. "I think that he can be an above average core special team player in the National Football League. And where he's at right now, I think he could acquit himself well at one of those two positions."
There's a long road to go before Klotz is able to potentially take the spots of names like Tucker Fisk or Scott Matlock. But again, this is the kind of player Harbaugh and co. gravitate towards. In Chargers OTAs, The Athletic's Daniel Popper noted that he was active as a receiver in team drills and even got some work as a long snapper.
If Klotz can show out as an actively good blocker when the pads come on in July, it does feel like there's at least an outside chance he could make the roster.
WR Luke Grimm
The wide receiver room is clogged for the Chargers. I probably wouldn't bet on any undrafted free agent to make it at that position realistically. But Luke Grimm has at least a chance. At Kansas last year, Grimm had 51 receptions for 690 yards and six touchdowns. Back in May, Harbaugh gave a shout-out to his performance on tape.
PFF graded Grimm as their third most efficient receiver on throws of 0-9 yards from his draft class. There's absolutely an impact he can make in the slot early on in preseason games. The question will be if that's enough to make a roster spot.
One thing to note with Grimm is that he does have quite a bit of special teams experience. Grimm played 172 special teams snaps in his Kansas career, 124 of which came in his first two seasons when he wasn't as involved offensively. He played on all four of Kansas' kick/ punt return and coverage units. Could the Chargers give him any looks at their own return and coverage teams early on in camp?