After adding Bryce Callahan and Kyle Van Noy, the Chargers roster stands at 86 players, four under the current limit of 90.
By opening weekend in September, they’ll need to whittle that number down to 53, along with the practice squad, which will either be 14 or 16 players, depending on whether the NFL extends the expanded practice squad rules.
Here’s a first look at how the 53 could play out, followed by who I think makes the practice squad:
Quarterback (3): Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, Easton Stick
No changes from 2021 here. Herbert was electric last season, and the thought that he could improve even further in 2022 should strike fear into the hearts of opponents. Daniel is a cheap and experienced backup option that serves as more of a player-coach than anything else. Stick continues to hang on to the end of the roster, and I think he’ll sneak in again.
Running Back (4): Austin Ekeler, Isaiah Spiller, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree III
Ekeler should have another stellar season as the primary ball carrier in 2022, but adding Spiller to a room losing Justin Jackson will help ease the load a bit. Despite his draft status as yet another Day 3 pick at running back, Spiller is likely the most purely talented back the Chargers have drafted in recent seasons. So expect him to soak up some carries early on. Kelley and Rountree have struggled, but both are young players who will likely be given another shot.
Fullback (1): Zander Horvath
This will come down to a training camp battle between Horvath and Gabe Nabers, but I have Horvath as the early favorite. However, Nabers could still win the spot if Horvath’s transition to full-time fullback hits a snag.
Wide Receiver (5): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, Jalen Guyton, DeAndre Carter
Allen and Williams are both making upwards of $20 million on their most recent contracts, money that comes well deserved for Herbert’s top two options. Palmer developed nicely as a rookie in 2021, and the Chargers will look to him to step into a WR3 role more certainly this season. Guyton is a decent speed receiver whose place on the roster seems assured. The fact that LA declined to add another downfield threat at receiver via the draft tells me that the plan is for Carter to have a role on offense while also serving as the primary kick returner.
Tight End (3): Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty
This is lighter than in recent seasons, but I didn’t see a good candidate to take over Stephen Anderson’s H-back duties currently on the roster. Everett replaces Jared Cook as the veteran receiving tight end, which should present an upgrade considering Cook’s drop problems in 2021. Parham should return in a healthy fashion after a scary concussion in December that cut an outstanding season short. McKitty should continue to make strides as the blocking tight end in his second season as a pro.
Offensive Line (9): Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Zion Johnson, Storm Norton, Trey Pipkins, Will Clapp, Brenden Jaimes, Jamaree Salyer
From left to right, the starters here will be Slater, Feiler, Linsley, Johnson, and…well, that’s a good question. The Chargers opted not to address right tackle during April’s draft, instead of spending a first-round pick on Johnson, who will start right away in the spot vacated by free agent Oday Aboushi. According to Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley, Feiler is also sticking at guard despite the pick. That leaves us with a likely camp battle between Norton and Pipkins for the right tackle job. Clapp, Jaimes, and Salyer are versatile pieces that will serve as quality depth, something the Chargers lacked a season ago.
Defensive Line (6): Austin Johnson, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Jerry Tillery, Christian Covington, Otito Ogbonnia, Breiden Fehoko
This offseason, Johnson, Joseph-Day, and Ogbonnia have been added to shore up LA’s most talked about position group last season. Johnson should start at nose tackle, while Joseph-Day will likely shift to 3 technique after playing nose for most of his time as a Ram. Tillery figures to start once more in a make-or-break season, but don’t be surprised if Ogbonnia eats into his early-down snaps due to the latter’s run defense skills. Covington is a quality rotational piece. Fehoko was arguably the team’s best lineman last year and should be rewarded with a full-time spot on the active roster.
EDGE (4): Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Kyle Van Noy, Chris Rumph II
This is a group that had a lot of questions answered with the signing of Van Noy on Thursday. In addition to his championship experience, he should fill and exceed the role Kyler Fackrell played a season ago behind Bosa and now-departed Uchenna Nwosu. Nwosu’s replacement is none other than 3-time All-Pro Khalil Mack, who makes his return to the AFC West to team up with Bosa and form one of the league’s most fearsome pass rusher tandems. The coaching staff seems high on Rumph, who will rotate in as the fourth rusher while he continues to develop.
Linebacker (5): Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Troy Reeder, Nick Niemann
Brandon Staley’s defense doesn’t place too much emphasis on the linebacker position, but this is a lean group regardless. Murray will need to make strides after struggling again last season, but early impressions this spring have apparently been overwhelmingly positive. Tranquill is probably this group’s best player right now, but he’s missed at least one game in every season as a pro. Reeder will be the first man off the bench if Tranquill or Murray can’t go and is familiar with the defense after spending the first three seasons of his career on the other side of town. Ogbongbemiga and Niemann were big special teams contributors last year and should continue those roles this season while filling in as spot starters if injuries begin to mount.
Cornerback (5): JC Jackson, Asante Samuel Jr., Michael Davis, Bryce Callahan, Ja’Sir Taylor
There are lots of reasons to be optimistic about this group. Chief amongst them is the addition of Jackson, who comes to LA after a vaunted career in New England as the Patriots’ best corner. He and Samuel will likely be your starters on the outside in the base defense. In nickel packages, expect to see Samuel shift inside to make room for Davis, who had an up-and-down year on the outside last season. Callahan isn’t a sure bet to stay healthy, but if he does, he could provide additional ammo in the slot to keep the Chargers matchup versatile. Taylor, this year’s sixth-round pick, should see time early as a special teamer.
Safety (5): Derwin James, Nasir Adderley, JT Woods, Alohi Gilman, Mark Webb
James and Adderley return as the starting safeties, where both had strong seasons in 2021. James seems to be back to his usual superstar self after battling injuries, while Adderley had his best season as a pro opposite him. 2022 third-rounder Woods should see time in dime packages when James shifts down to the box to play more of a safety/linebacker hybrid role. Gilman and Webb are both young players who have struggled with injuries, but they should rotate onto the field in smaller roles if they’re able to stay healthy.
Specialists (3): Dustin Hopkins, JK Scott, Josh Harris
Pretty straightforward here since LA only has undrafted kicker James McCourt providing any competition here. Hopkins was a revelation last season compared to the kickers of the past few seasons, and there’s little reason to believe he won’t be the kicker this year. Scott has the endorsement of new special teams coach Ryan Ficken, evidenced by the Chargers declining to add a punter in the draft or post-draft free agency. Harris was given $1.92 million guaranteed over four seasons, which means he’s got a stranglehold on that job.
Practice Squad
RB Leddie Brown
RB Kevin Marks Jr.
Brown and Marks both have a chance to unseat Kelley or Rountree as RB4, which will be one of the summer’s more hotly contested battles at Chargers camp. Ultimately, I think the competition may prove inconclusive, in which case both undrafted backs could land on the practice squad to extend their chances.
WR Michael Bandy
WR Joe Reed
Bandy has yo-yoed between active roster, practice squad, and free-agent countless times in his brief NFL career, but the Chargers saw enough in him to call him up in Week 16 against the Texans. Reed battled a foot injury for most of 2021, but he’ll likely be kept around in some capacity as a backup kick returner if DeAndre Carter gets injured.
TE Hunter Kampmoyer
Kampmoyer seems like the closest thing to Stephen Anderson currently on the roster, but I’m not sure if he’s good enough yet to warrant a full-time spot, especially on a roster as crowded as LA’s. Keeping him on the practice squad to fill that role a couple of times a year seems more likely.
OT Andrew Trainer
Trainer is an undrafted tackle from FCS William & Mary. Although he earned first-team All-Conference honors in 2021, the jump to the pro game will likely be too large for him to crack the opening roster. So I think LA will stash him and see if there’s any more development to be had.
DT Forrest Merrill
DE Joe Gaziano
Merrill and Gaziano are both rosterable players, in my opinion, but it’s tough to find spots for them and warrant carrying 7 or 8 defensive linemen. Cutting Stick for one of them is a potential option, as is trying to stash one of the 10 DBs on the practice squad. As it stands, I’m going to stick with my gut and say both players are on the outside looking in as of today.
EDGE Jamal Davis II
EDGE Ty Shelby
Davis is a CFL product who had four sacks for the Montreal Alouettes in 2021, while Shelby is an undrafted free agent from Louisiana-Monroe. Both need more seasoning before they’re ready to take on active roster roles, but both have intriguing development profiles that will warrant keeping them in-house if the Chargers are able. By year 2 or 3, perhaps one of them is ready to contribute.
LB Cole Christiansen
LB Emeke Egbule
Christiansen and Egbule are mostly kept here for special teams depth if Ogbongbemiga or Niemann gets injured. Both spent time on the practice squad last season, but neither saw extensive time in 2021.
CB Deane Leonard
Leonard has a challenging path to the roster even as one of LA’s draft picks from this season. Adding 4 DBs in the last two weeks, including Leonard, has made it a very crowded room to be in. I lean Ja’Sir Taylor over Leonard because of the former’s higher draft capital and more extensive football experience.
S Ben DeLuca
DeLuca, another of last year’s practice squad players, could stick around as added safety depth if lower-end options like Gilman or Webb get injured in special teams duty. However, he could just as quickly be supplanted by one of the rookie free agent DBs the Chargers brought in to compete for that same role.