The LA Chargers have plenty of time to put together the final 53-man roster and there are going to be many tough decisions the coaching staff and front office have to make.
While the objective of carving out a 53-man roster is to include the best players possible, that is not always the case. Just carrying the most talented 53 players would create an uneven roster stacked with too much depth in some areas and not enough in others.
Thus, there are players who might not be the most talented overall who make the roster because of positional need. While there are still a lot of unknowns about the Chargers' 53-man roster, there are several of these players who have a great chance of making the cut without being the best of the best.
The 3 worst Chargers who will likely make the 53-man roster:
Easton Stick
Easton Stick got a chance to start multiple games and prove himself as an NFL backup during the 2023 season. The results were not great yet the Chargers did not feel the need to replace Stick, instead re-signing him as a free agent.
Now Stick is in a position where he is getting the first-team reps with Justin Herbert on the sideline due to a plantar fascia injury. The results have not been pretty and with how he is playing, new camp arm Luis Perez could end up outplaying him.
It would take a lot for Perez to outplay Stick to the point where the veteran would not make the roster. Stick seems to have a great relationship with Justin Herbert, which might be the reason why he is still on the team to begin with.
Unless Stick becomes a completely new quarterback in Greg Roman's offense, the Chargers will once again have one of the worst backup quarterback situations in the sport.
Alex Leatherwood/Foster Sarell
Only one of these two players can make the roster and it does not matter which one ultimately gets the nod, they will be one of the worst players on the Chargers' 53-man roster.
Leatherwood and Sarell are battling it out for the swing tackle position on the depth chart and fans should be hoping the team never has to actually trot one of them out as a starter. If so, Herbert is going to have a long day ahead of him.
Sarell has been disappointing every time he has played for the Chargers and has created far more problems than solutions. Leatherwood, meanwhile, is one of the worst first-round picks of recent years and was downright awful for both the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears.
No team is going to have an elite swing tackle who elevates the entire roster but the Chargers could certainly do better.
Tony Jefferson
The Chargers signed Tony Jefferson after working him out during minicamp and the writing is now on the wall for him to make the 53-man roster. AJ Finley might end up winning the outright third safety spot on the depth chart but it would not be surprising if the team carried a fourth safety, especially if they want a veteran like Jefferson.
Jefferson has the Baltimore ties to Joe Hortiz that got him in the door and he played under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter on the Ravens. Those connections are what opened the door and they ultimately may be what gets him a roster spot.
While it is a great story to see Jefferson come out of retirement and potentially make an NFL roster, it doesn't make him a far better player than he actually is. Jefferson has not had a full, productive season in the NFL since 2018. Herbert was a junior in college.
It is hard to imagine someone who has not been very productive in six years and didn't even play in the league last year, turning into some hugely impactful player for the Bolts.