Chargers' 53-man roster projection after preseason: Bolts carry 7 WRs

The LA Chargers have officially wrapped the preseason as the team now looks to officially start the Jim Harbaugh era in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Before getting there, the Chargers have several hard decisions to make as the team needs to cut the roster down to 53 players by Tuesday at 1 p.m. PT. While many roster spots have been decided, several spots around the edges were still up for grabs entering the last week of the preseason.

With that officially settled, let's dive into what the 53-man roster may look like.

Final Chargers 53-man roster projection after preseason:

Quarterback (2): Justin Herbert, Easton Stick

Justin Herbert confirmed he is not feeling any pain in his right foot which makes the concerns around the awful backup quarterback play much smaller. However, the Chargers still need to invest in the position in case Herbert does have to miss a short amount of time.

The Cleveland Browns currently have four notable quarterbacks on the roster and only three spots to hand out. As a result, either Tyler Huntley or Dorian Thompson-Robinson will be left out. The Chargers should pursue whichever QB doesn't make the roster in Cleveland.

Stick makes the cut in this prediction simply because of the timing, but he should not be the team's primary backup in Week 1.

Running back (4): J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Kimani Vidal, Jaret Patterson

The first three running backs on the depth chart did not play in the preseason finale and for good reason: the Chargers did not need to evaluate them any further. The fourth running back spot is the one really up for grabs and that should go to Jaret Patterson, who has become a preseason favorite while adding special teams value.

Wide receiver (7): Joshua Palmer, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, DJ Chark, Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko, Brenden Rice

Simi Fehoko has been too good for the Chargers to ignore him and not include him on the 53-man roster. Because of his great play in the preseason and his added special teams value, he has to be considered a lock to make the roster.

It seems unlikely that the Chargers would cut ties with both seventh-round wide receivers from the 2024 NFL Draft. Thus, Brenden Rice makes the cut in favor of another position where a fourth option has not emerged. Speaking of...

Tight end (3): Will Dissly, Hayden Hurst, Donald Parham

On paper, it makes all the sense in the world for the Chargers to carry a third tight end on the roster, especially considering there are some minor holes in Donald Parham's game that may translate to the regular season.

The problem is nobody has stood out enough to warrant making the roster over other players who have earned it at their respective positions. As a result, the Chargers carry three tight ends in this prediction.

Offensive line (9): Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Trey Pipkins, Joe Alt, Jamaree Salyer, Jordan McFadden, Brenden Jaimes, Foster Sarell

Nothing has changed here from previous iterations. There as a position battle early in the preseason between Foster Sarell and Jordan McFadden but that outcome has seemed obvious for weeks now. This is the unit the Chargers will roll into the regular season with.

EDGE (4): Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree

Tremon Morris-Brash has been one of the most talked-about players on the Chargers throughout training camp and he once again had a big day on Saturday. The problem is he plays arguably the deepest position on the Chargers' roster.

It is a gamble, but it seems more likely given the position group that the Chargers waive Morris-Brash, hope he does not get claimed by another team, and re-sign him to the practice squad. From there, the Chargers can designate Morris-Brash as one of the team's weekly four protected players.

Chris Rumph, meanwhile, will likely head to the IR.

Interior defensive line (6): Poona Ford, Otito Ogbonnia, Morgan Fox, Scott Matlock, Teair Tart, Justin Eboigbe

If it was not for the Teair Tart signing then there could be room to keep Morris-Brash and kick Tuli Tuipulotu inside more often. However, Tart rounds out the Chargers' interior defensive line nicely as this group looks to play above its expectations heading into camp.

Linebacker (5): Denzel Perryman, Daiyan Henley, Junior Colson, Troy Dye, Nick Niemann

This room has quickly shaped up to be one of the better positions on the entire Chargers' roster. The trio of Perryman, Henley and Colson will essentially split the starting snaps and gives the Chargers more options to tweak the defense.

Troy Dye and Nick Niemann will both be valuable for the Bolts on special teams.

Cornerback (6): Asante Samuel Jr, Kristian Fulton, Ja'Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard, Cam Hart, Tarheeb Still

Deane Leonard has been one of the biggest stories of the preseason thus far as he has thrived in Jesse Minter's defense. This is huge for the Bolts as it gives the team Kristian Fulton insurance considering his shaky past.

JT Woods has converted to cornerback and there is talk of him making the roster as a result. But with Leonard and Still both providing good backup options, it seems more likely that the team employs a fourth safety rather than a seventh safety-turned-corner.

Safety (4): Derwin James, Alohi Gilman, AJ Finley, Tony Jefferson

Tony Jefferson had the best preseason game of any player on the Chargers across the entire season against the Dallas Cowboys. The team may have been on the fence about whether or not it was a good idea to keep Jefferson and that should have clinched it. He should be the fourth safety.

In theory, Woods' versatility is more intriguing and there is the added bonus of Jefferson not needing to pass waivers to be signed to the practice squad. However, it is hard to see the Chargers not rewarding a game that dominant in favor of a previous regime's draft pick who is changing positions.

Special teams (3): Cameron Dicker, J.K. Scott, Josh Harris

No changes to this group and there was never going to be. Outside of Justin Herbert, this trio had arguably the best job security of anyone on the roster after the 2023 season.