Of the position and roster battles that have drawn attention for the Los Angeles Chargers in training camp, the wide receiver room hasn't really been among the major storylines.
But in a new-look offense powered by Mike McDaniel, the Chargers are undertaking a relatively complete overhaul of their personnel. Although they haven't added a top receiver this offseason— sticking with Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Tre' Harris as their primary trio— there's room for McDaniel to shape the receiving corps how he sees fit.
The biggest riser so far has been rookie receiver Brenen Thompson, who's flashed his blazing speed and impressive downfield catch abilities during team drills. He has the type of skill set that should immediately appeal to McDaniel out of the slot.
With Derius Davis also fighting to keep his job as the Chargers' return man, that leaves second-year receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith potentially on the roster bubble. Even though he still holds upside as a speedy threat in the intermediate and deep parts of the field, he'll need to prove himself in training camp if he wants to hold onto his spot on the 53-man roster.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith is on the roster bubble, but he has a chance to determine his fate
To this point, Lambert-Smith's status as a "faller" within the context of Chargers training camp has simply been his lack of highlight plays. He had one in team drills on Monday, though, and it served as a reminder of what Los Angeles found appealing about him in the first place— his speed.
dre all day pic.twitter.com/9waMUIfTaA
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 3, 2026
Coming out of college, Lambert-Smith wasn't seen as a potentially elite receiver. But he was seen as a speed threat— someone who could carve out a role as WR3 or 4 in an NFL offense. He posted 50 receptions for 981 yards and eight touchdowns in his final college season with Auburn. He posted a 4.37-second mark in the 40 yard dash at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
But in a Greg Roman offense where explosive plays were already few and far between, Lambert-Smith's opportunities were limited. He played just 19% of the team's offensive snaps across the 10 games in which he appeared, posting just five receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.
The upside is still there. It's simply a matter of if the Chargers coaching staff wants to use the roster spot to help him unlock it.
McDaniel kept fewer than six receivers on the initial 53-man roster three out of his four years with the Miami Dolphins. Because he aims to lean into heavy personnel even more in Los Angeles, there will be less opportunities to go around for the receiving room as a whole. It wouldn't be surprising in the least if the Chargers entered 2026 with just five receivers on the roster.
McConkey, Johnston, and Harris are clear roster locks. Thompson has likely already cemented himself as one.
That leaves, potentially, one spot for Davis and Lambert-Smith to compete for. Davis struggled last season in his special teams role, but it seems as though the coaching staff has faith in his ability to bounce back. If Lambert-Smith is going to convince the team to take him over their current return man, he's going to need to keep making major plays over the remainder of training camp.
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