For the most part, the top of the Los Angeles Chargers' depth chart is set in stone.
Outside of the ongoing competition at left guard, the Chargers have their established Week 1 starters. At this point in the offseason, that's an excellent place to be as an organization. But as they enter Phase 2 of their offseason program, there's still some major work to be done in ironing out the depth chart, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The Chargers will need to sort out new hierarchies for multiple position groups this offseason. With the addition of Genesis Smith, there's room for things to be shaken up in the safety room. The defensive line is set to take on a new complexion under defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary. There's also a lingering need for an outside cornerback, which may need to be addressed externally.
But perhaps the Chargers' most overlooked roster battle of camp, the one currently being waged in the inside linebacker room, also provides ample room for intrigue. In his press appearance prior to Los Angeles' mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday, Jim Harbaugh stated that he believes there are eight linebackers currently who have a shot at the roster:
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh on LB Junior Colson: "Good to see him back out there number one. Had an unfortunate couple of things injury wise that have come up."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) June 16, 2026
Says the team feels like they have eight linebackers that can possibly make the roster with the depth at the position.
When you mix in the update about third-year linebacker Junior Colson's return to health, this sets the stage for an intriguing competition as we get closer and closer to training camp.
The Chargers have some major work to do with their depth at inside linebacker
With Denzel Perryman returning on a one-year, $2.79 million deal for 2026, the Chargers' starters at inside linebacker are set. Both Perryman and Daiyan Henley are strong run defenders and more-than-capable in coverage. The competition comes through the fight for snaps behind that pairing.
But Perryman will turn 34 during the 2026 season, and Los Angeles will certainly need to lean on their depth both now and into the future.
There are currently eight inside linebackers on the Chargers roster, so it's relatively easy to narrow down who Harbaugh is referring to. Beyond Henley and Perryman there are— Junior Colson, Troy Dye, Marlowe Wax, Del'Shawn Phillips, Lander Barton, and Emany Johnson. Colson missed the entirety of 2025 due to injury, Wax and Phillips, meanwhile, mostly took on special-teams roles last season. Barton is a UDFA from this year's class, while Johnson has been a member of the Chargers' practice squad since last season.
Troy Dye, who is certainly slated for a rotational linebacker role, missed practice yesterday due to a personal issue.
When it comes to Colson, it's unclear whether Harbaugh is referring to the shoulder injury that sidelined him for 2025 or a fresh crop of issues that limited him through OTAs. Either way, though, he appears to be back on the field. He wasn't included in the list of players that ESPN's Kris Rhim noted weren't at practice yesterday.
Now that Colson is healthy, he'll have to fend off all of Wax, Phillips, Barton, and Johnson for his role on the defense. There are likely significant defensive snaps available for only two of these linebackers, and both Wax and Phillips have the tackling abilities to make that leap if Colson can't quickly re-assert himself.
Barton, for his part, is coming off a highly-productive final college season at Utah, in which he amassed 55 combined tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. It will be a uphill battle for him to displace either Wax or Phillips on the depth chart, but there's certainly a world in which he carves out a roster spot in a special-teams role.
But it's likely that two of these linebackers will be cut by the time we reach the start of the regular season. That leaves room for some major intrigue as we enter Phase 2.
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