Sometimes a draft pick simply doesn't live up to the hype surrounding them after the NFL Draft. That's certainly been the case with LA Chargers edge rusher Kyle Kennard thus far in his young NFL career.
Taken in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year looked like a legitimate steal for the Bolts. With no more Joey Bosa, the door was wide open for Kennard to get legitimate playing time as the third edge rusher in his rookie year. Then the Odafe Oweh trade happened.
Fast forward to this year's training camp and Kennard has been a complete afterthought. You probably forgot he is even on the roster, which is telling in itself. Nobody is talking about Kennard being on the roster bubble, and it's not for good reason.
With so many moving pieces around him, as well as new edge rusher talent on the roster, there's a very real chance that the 24-year-old is left off the 53-man roster 16 months after he was drafted by the Bolts.
Kyle Kennard is a real cut candiate for the Chargers
Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack are locking down the first two edge rusher spots. That's without question. This year's first-round pick, Akheem Mesidor, has comfortably replaced Oweh on the depth chart as the team's third edge rusher.
That leaves three players battling for the fourth edge rusher spot, which might be the only spot available on the 53-man roster. The Chargers could carry a fifth edge rusher, but it's not promised and depends on how the rest of the roster shakes out.
The three players battling for the spot are Kennard, veteran Bud Dupree, and UDFA Nadame Tucker. And while on paper the recent draft pick should have the advantage, Kennard very well could be third in this race.
Whether it's justified or not, the coaching staff has shown favor to Dupree over other edge rushers, including Kennard, in the past. In theory, the Chargers should prefer a younger player with upside who can contribute on special teams, but that is not how this coaching staff has operated. That could change, but history doesn't favor Kennard.
Tucker is the real wild card. He was one of the best UDFA signings in the entire league and played for defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary at Western Michigan last season. Tucker's college stats were legitimately eye-popping, and he has carried that over to turn heads during Chargers training camp already.
Tucker was genuinely one of the best edge rushers in all of college football last season and his Pro Football Focus stats prove it. With a direct connection to the Chargers' new offensive coordinator, Tucker may have a substantial edge over Kennard in the roster battle.
Kyle Kennard has never got going for the Chargers despite the hype
It's unrealistic to expect a fourth-round pick to instantly become a big-time edge rusher, but it was different with Kennard. While nobody expected him to usurp Tuipulotu or Mack in 2025, there was a real chance that he was the long-term replacement plan for the latter.
After all, the track record of SEC Defensive Players of the Year does not lie. Seven of the previous eight winners all became Pro Bowlers in the NFL with the lone exception being Dallas Turner, who was a first-round pick the year prior. On paper, winning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year set Kennard up for great success.
Kennard was also a bit older as a prospect, which is the entire reason he fell to where he was. If he was the exact same prospect but was two years younger, he probably would have been a top-75 pick based on his production. Instead, he fell to the Bolts in round four.
Those traits seemed to indicate the Chargers landed a steal in Kennard, but the team hasn't shown much faith in him. Kennard appeared in just five games his rookie season with 80 defensive snaps played. He had some lingering injuries during last year's camp but was a healthy scratch for most of the year.
Barring an incredible showing in the preseason or injuries ahead of him on the depth chart, Kennard seemingly has a one-way ticket to the Chargers' practice squad once the roster is trimmed to 53 players.
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