The LA Chargers officially kickstarted training camp on Wednesday, giving fans their first up-close look at the new era of Chargers football. With so much excitement around the team over the summer, fans have had July 24 circled on their calendars for weeks.
The excitement wasn't just around seeing the team practice for the first time as the new state-of-the-art training facility, "The Bolt". Fans were also excited to see where each player is at mentally and how the dynamics of the roster are shaking out.
It is also great to see which players are earning the respect of their teammates and new coaching staff, especially when it comes to new players and rookies. Fourth-round pick Cam Hart is already making the right impression as star safety Derwin James went out of his way to heap praise on the rookie during his media availability on Wednesday.
Chargers S Derwin James: "I love Cam Hart."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) July 24, 2024
Says he's been "coachable" and impressive so far.
Derwin James has high praise for Chargers rookie Cam Hart
Cam Hart will be competing for snaps in his rookie season in a secondary room that is wide-open in Los Angeles. The Chargers' secondary is going to need several players to step up in order to be productive next season, leaving the door wide open for a rookie to come in and play a big role.
Hart needs to do more than just get positive comments from James to earn a starting spot but his first day of camp did leave an impression. Hart came down with an interception off backup quarterback Easton Stick, which will certainly help make his case for playing time.
The Chargers drafted Hart in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. While he was the second cornerback taken by the Bolts in the fifth round after slot corner Tarheeb Still, Hart was viewed as one of the best value picks in the entire draft.
The former Notre Dame standout was projected to go earlier than the fifth round and ranked 106th in the 2024 consensus big board. Los Angeles selected Hart with the 181st pick, 75 spots lower than his place on the consensus big board.
It will be fun to watch how Hart and the rest of the secondary plays in training camp and there will certainly be more positive takeaways for the young cornerback. Every year, there is 1-2 defensive players who shine early in training camp but those who make a difference are the ones who can keep that promising play up.
If Hart continues to turn heads and puts together impressive showings in the preseason then Chargers fans might be looking at a rookie who will be a full-time starter by year's end.