As we approach training camp, the time has come to zoom in on some of the looming position and roster battles the Los Angeles Chargers must face when the pads come on in late July.
Both Jim Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel made clear that OTAs and mandatory minicamp were primarily used for the implementation of the new schemes on both sides of the ball. While there were likely some significant developments through the offseason program, it's clear that players won't truly start to be evaluated until training camp.
We have a picture of the obvious tensions, though. Kayode Awosika, Trevor Penning, and Jake Slaughter will need to compete for the starting left guard spot. Nadame Tucker will likely threaten both Bud Dupree and Kyle Kennard for a spot in the edge rusher rotation.
But we also have quite a few under-the-radar competitions— those that won't fully be explored until camp officially starts. One of these will include special-teamer Kendall Williamson, whose spot on the roster continues to be threatened by the Chargers' increasing depth at safety.
Kendall Williamson isn't an obvious cut candidate, but it's hard to see him carving out a path to the roster in 2026
When Williamson was selected by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he was seen as a defender with the right athletic tools to make it at the next level but a concerning mix of spotty production and inconsistent coverage abilities. That's a perfect recipe for a special teams contributor, and Williamson has become an important one in his two seasons in Los Angeles.
After spending 2023 with Chicago's practice squad and the start of 2024 with the Buffalo Bills, Williamson found a home with the Chargers, appearing in two games in 2024 and playing 47% of special teams snaps in that time. In 2025, Williamson spent the entire season on the active roster, playing 59% of the team's special teams snaps over the course of the campaign.
His upside in the normal course of the defense is limited. He's seen just 46 snaps on that side of the ball in his short NFL career. But his tackling abilities have landed him a consistent role on special teams, and he signed a one-year, $1.075 million extension to stay in Los Angeles for 2026.
Last season, the departure of Alohi Gilman in an early-season trade with the Baltimore Ravens made it feasible for Los Angeles to carry five safeties. They're likely to carry that amount this year, starting with last year's core of Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson, RJ Mickens, and Derwin James.
But their selection of Genesis Smith in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft throws a wrench in things for Williamson. Smith has already turned heads through the Chargers' offseason program, and he threatens to siphon snaps away from Jefferson and Mickens as the season wears on.
It's highly unlikely, though, that either Mickens or Jefferson is cut. If anything, Chris O'Leary will likely prefer to have the entire safety rotation at his disposal, especially considering the extent to which Derwin James will be sliding into a nickel/dime role.
Unless Los Angeles wants to carry six safeties into 2026, Williamson could be slated for a future on the practice squad.
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