With the Los Angeles Chargers' four-game preseason slate finally at an end following Saturday night's 30-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the next time the Bolts suit up, the result will actually matter, which is always nice.
Now, while we know the vast majority of the players who will suit up for the Chargers during their Week 1 matchup with the rival Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil, head coach Jim Harbaugh still has a few decisions to make ahead of Tuesday afternoon's deadline to trim rosters down to 53 players.
So, without further ado, let's get into our final predictions on what the Chargers' 53-man roster will look like heading into the regular season.
Updated 53-man Chargers roster projection
Quarterback (2): Justin Herbert, Trey Lance
The race for the QB2 slot behind Justin Herbert between Trey Lance and Taylor Heinicke didn't turn out to be much of a race at all, did it? Truth be told, if the Bolts were to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, we still wouldn't have Heinicke here, as the QB3 spot should clearly belong to undrafted rookie DJ Uiagalelei.
Running back (4): Omarion Hampton, Najee Harris, Hassan Haskins, Raheim Sanders
Given the comments made by Chargers GM Joe Hortiz on Saturday night, we're going to go ahead and put Najee Harris on the roster, which we didn't do a week ago. There's still a chance, of course, that he could miss the first month with the eye injury he suffered during a July 4 fireworks mishap, but the Bolts are still in good shape here.
Fullback (1): Scott Matlock
Scott Matlock's versatility will continue to keep him employed, as the 25-year-old can line up at fullback on offense when called upon while also giving the team some extra depth on the defensive line.
Wide receiver (6): Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston, Tre' Harris, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Luke Grimm
The top five on this list have been set for some time, with Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston, and rookie Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith guaranteed to make the 53-man roster. The battle for the sixth slot has been one of the more intriguing storylines over the past few weeks, and while Derius Davis may end up getting it, we're going to go ahead and give it to undrafted rookie Luke Grimm.
The pair of fumbles against the Niners didn't do him any favors, but he scored a late touchdown on Saturday night to give the coaching staff something to think about.
Dalevon Campbell also made a play for the sixth slot with a strong performance against San Francisco, but he still probably falls just short. If that happens, don't be surprised if he gets picked up by another team after a strong overall preseason.
Tight end (3): Will Dissly, Tyler Conklin, Oronde Gadsden II
The Chargers are deep at tight end, the deepest this team has been at the position for quite some time. Tucker Fisk put forth a solid overall effort the past few weeks, but he seems destined for the practice squad at this point.
Offensive line (9): Joe Alt, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Mekhi Becton, Trey Pipkins III, Jamaree Salyer, Branson Taylor, Andre James, David Sharpe
David Sharpe is the biggest maybe of this group, and there's a chance that he could be gone if the Chargers hit the waiver wire once cuts from other teams start coming down the pipeline. Rashawn Slater's season-ending injury caused all sorts of headaches, and this group could undoubtedly look much different as the season progresses if Hortiz can do some maneuvering.
Interior defensive line (5): Teair Tart, Otito Ogbonnia, Da’Shawn Hand, Jamaree Caldwell, Justin Eboigbe
If the Chargers can find another position to make a cut, this group could see a sixth player added in Naquan Jones. For now, though, we're thinking they roll with this five. Rookie Jamaree Caldwell looks like a potential star in the making, so don't be surprised if he ends up stealing a spot in the starting lineup once the season gets underway.
Edge rusher (5): Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree, Caleb Murphy, Kyle Kennard
After spending the back half of last season on the Chargers' practice squad after being released by the Tennessee Titans, Caleb Murphy has undoubtedly earned a spot among the final 53 with a strong preseason and could easily end up stealing snaps from Kyle Kennard as the season progresses.
Linebacker (5): Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, Troy Dye, Junior Colson, Del’Shawn Phillips
Much like Luke Grimm, undrafted rookie Marlowe Wax has become a bit of a fan favorite with some strong play over the past few weeks, which continued into Saturday, as he racked up six total tackles and a sack against San Francisco.
But with Del'Shawn Phillips just recently activated from the PUP list, Wax is the odd man out here and is honestly the toughest cut we had to make.
Cornerback (6): Donte Jackson, Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, Nikko Reed, Eric Rogers, Ja'Sir Taylor
We're going out on a big limb here, as we're calling for both Deane Leonard and Benjamin St-Juste to get the boot, which doesn't seem all that realistic. Eric Rogers would likely be the first casualty of those listed above, given his injury issues. But it's extremely difficult to ignore what he did in the two preseason games in which he appeared, earning a 97.0 overall PFF grade, the highest of any Los Angeles defender.
It's still unclear why the coaching staff likes St-Juste as much as they do, but if Rogers doesn't make the cut, he'll take the sixth spot over Leonard.
Safety (4): Derwin James Jr., Alohi Gilman, Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson
Cutting sixth-round rookie R.J. Mickens was another tough call, but Tony Jefferson's experience is going to land him on the 53-man roster. Jefferson took just 14 defensive snaps on Saturday night against the Niners and spent the later part of the game in street clothes, which seems to signify that his spot is locked up.
Mickens was one of the biggest surprises of the preseason, and he legit did everything he could to get himself onto this roster. But he's simply going to be the victim of a numbers game. One would assume he'll be a protected member of the practice squad to start the season.
Special teams (3): Cameron Dicker, K — JK Scott, P — Josh Harris, LS
No surprises here, as Cameron Dicker will be the Chargers' kicker, JK Scott will be the punter and holder, and Josh Harris will be the long snapper.
Now, Bolts fans will just wait and see what happens come final cuts.