Fifth-round pick KeAndre Lambert-Smith has been one of the biggest standouts of LA Chargers training camp thus far. The exciting wideout carried his training camp success over to the preseason with a head-turning performance against the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game.
Lambert-Smith and fellow rookie Tre' Harris were the two most anticipated receivers playing for the Chargers on Thursday night. Harris didn't come away with a catch, instead giving way to his teammate to steal the show.
Backup quarterback Trey Lance connected with the former Auburn Tiger for his second passing touchdown of the game midway through the second quarter. Lambert-Smith beat his man with a quick release on a slant and took the short-yardage pass into the endzone for six.
That wasn't even Lambert-Smith's most impressive play of the game. Earlier in the first half, Lambert-Smith was on the receiving end of a perfect touch pass from Lance that highlighted his potential as a vertical passing threat.
Trey Lance dropping it the bucket for KeAndre Lambert-Smith 🎯@ProFootballHOF Game on NBC
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KeAndre Lambert-Smith lives up to the hype in Chargers' preseason opener
Every single year there are training camp standouts that come out of nowhere. And every single year, those same standouts don't end up having a tangible impact on the team that specific season.
That doesn't appear to be the reality with Lambert-Smith.
There is a big difference between turning in highlights in a practice setting and doing so in a game setting against a different team and defensive scheme. Sure, Lambert-Smith wasn't out there against prime Darrelle Revis, but he proved that he can turn heads against another NFL defense.
This is just step one for Lambert-Smith, who has all the makings of being a preseason star for the Chargers this season. Lambert-Smith will undoubtedly keep getting snaps in the preseason and will continue carving out his place in the Chargers' offense.
The first preseason game of the year isn't enough to guarantee that someone is going to succeed. However, it does help support the priors that Chargers fans have developed watching Lambert-Smith tear it up during training camp.
If Lambert-Smith continues this momentum then the Chargers' offense is going to be much more dangerous than previously expected. Fans knew they would get elite play out of Ladd McConkey with supporting play from Tre' Harris and Quentin Johnston. Now, they may have another legitimate difference-maker.