The Chargers open up preseason on Thursday with a matchup against the Cardinals, and will offer plenty of opportunity for players to carve out roles.
Here’s a look at five players with the most to gain by having a strong performance to open up the four-game slate prior to the regular season.
OL Forrest Lamp
Lamp is one of the most highly anticipated players entering this preseason. Many fans are eagerly waiting to see if he can carry the momentum that he’s been displaying in training camp.
Despite being listed as the No. 2 right guard on the first unofficial depth chart, the former Western Kentucky product has shined in every opportunity that he has gotten with the first-team at left guard. The ball is in his court to outperform Dan Feeney to solidify the starting spot.
WR Artavis Scott
If wide receivers Travis Benjamin and Andre Patton miss Thursday’s game, this will be Scott’s time to creep up the depth chart to potentially the No. 3 option. The former Clemson product has regained full health in his ankle, and his outings in camp have backed it up.
Scott was a bright spot last year and basically won a spot on the 53-man roster before an injury sent him to injured reserve, where he spent the entire 2018 season. Prior to the injury, he hauled in eight catches for 82 yards and carried the ball once for four yards.
FS Rayshawn Jenkins
Jenkins, the 2017 fourth-round selection, showed progress toward the end of last season and now enters preseason as the No. 1 free safety on the depth chart. Even though his depth chart spot is solidified, Jenkins will benefit from second-round selection Nasir Adderley’s absence.
The former Miami product dropped weight this offseason to play lighter and more freely at the position. There’s no denying his athleticism, but this will be the first good look at him manning the position other than the small sample size in the playoffs against the Ravens and Patriots, where he played all over.
DT Justin Jones
Like Jenkins, Jones didn’t come onto the scene until late in the season when he started to make an impact. Now, the 2018 third-round selection, looks to carry that momentum into this season and he will certainly have the advantage due to the absence of first-round selection Jerry Tillery in today’s contest.
Jones is listed as the No. 1 defensive tackle on the depth chart, but Tillery is looking to push him out of that slot. Jones, who dropped 21 pounds this offseason, is eager to be a strong contributor to the defensive line this upcoming season.
LB Drue Tranquill
The linebacker position is the deepest for the Chargers, but it’s unlikely we get to see their main core, which means this will be the time for depth players to make their mark. Tranquill, the fourth-round selection, is the one player that could benefit the most with a big game.
The former Notre Dame product has been praised by the coaching staff since this spring for his performances and high football intelligence. Now expected to get a significant amount of playing time tonight, Tranquill has the opportunity to push his way up the depth chart and play a key role as a sub-package linebacker in 2019.
