It goes without saying, but the vast majority of undrafted rookies typically don't get a ton of attention during NFL training camps, as most have little to no shot of making a 53-man roster.
But Los Angeles Chargers rookie center Josh Kaltenberger has turned a few heads recently, and given the issues facing the Bolts' offensive line right now, his role on this football team could end up being a crucial one.
Now, outside of those who watch a lot of Big Ten football, Kaltenberger, who played three seasons at Purdue before finishing up his collegiate career at Maryland, obviously isn't the most well-known player on the planet.
But Jim Harbaugh, who certainly knows a thing or two about the Big Ten, clearly saw something in Kaltenberger and got the Chargers' front office to bring him in on a three-year, $2.968 million deal, which is nothing to sneeze at for an undrafted player.
Adding a center made plenty of sense, as one of the team's biggest concerns heading into camp was on the interior offensive line, more specifically the situation with Bradley Bozeman moving from center to left guard and Zion Johnson from left guard to center.
Ultimately, that decision was for naught, as the two offensive linemen reverted back to their previous positions.
And while it's still early, the decision to bring in Kaltenberger has been a good one, as he earned a strong 79.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in the Chargers' 34-7 victory over the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame game, which ranked third on the team overall and one slot higher than Johnson's mark of 76.8. He also didn't allow a single pressure. Yes, the 48.8 run-blocking grade leaves a lot to be desired, but it was still a strong start regardless.
Josh Kaltenberger is someone to pay close attention to during the Chargers' preseason
Here's the thing, though. The devastating season-ending injury to left tackle Rashawn Slater has thrown all sorts of possibilities on the O-line into the mix. Harbaugh has already confirmed that right tackle Joe Alt will move to the left side to take Slater's spot, while swing tackle Trey Pipkins will slide in as the starting right tackle for now.
So, what would the exterior have to do with a center? Well, the answer there is that Kaltenberger is ridiculously versatile. While he lined up at center in his lone year with Maryland, he actually played every single position on the line during his run at Purdue. And he's up for any challenge, even saying once that while there are obviously differences at each position, "O-line play is O-line play."
That's a Jim Harbaugh kind of a player right there, and that versatility may just end up landing him a spot on the 53-man roster a few weeks from now.
Would like to see what he looks like with the #Chargers starters pic.twitter.com/oV6P39DiS0
— Chargers fan police (@BoltupDeonte619) August 5, 2025
Furthermore, his overall athletic profile, seen in the picture above, is extremely enticing, as he earned a 9.72 Relative Athletic Score, which is actually higher than any player the Chargers took in the draft this year, just edging out first-round running back Omarion Hampton (9.70).
Kaltenberger will certainly be one to watch in the Chargers' matchup with the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and for the duration of the preseason as final roster cuts get closer.