The Chargers have a good chunk of their starters returning from the 2018 season. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t certain starting jobs and roster spots on the line.
By the time training camp is over, Los Angeles must narrow it down to the NFL’s 53-man roster limit, and that means the competition will be fierce for slots at several key positions.
With that, here are six position battles to watch for when training camp begins on Thursday:
Wide Receiver
The Chargers are locked in with their top two options in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. This means that they have three spots to fill with eight guys fighting for the final slots on the roster.
The frontrunner to secure the No. 3 role is Travis Benjamin, who had a down season in 2018 but the coaching staff covets him for his veteran presence and for his blazing speed and ability to beat defenders vertically.
Cantrell, who was injured last season, is a tall, athletic receiver who displays excellent ball skills and elite hands at the catch point. Scott, who was having a stellar showing at camp and preseason, is a possession receiver that thrives in the slot. Davis is another tall and physically-imposing wideout that the team has loved the past couple years.
An undrafted free agent like Fred Trevillion or Jason Moore could emerge as guys that are worthy of roster spots, too.
Guard
All eyes have been on Forrest Lamp, who is arguably one of the most highly anticipated players. Lamp suffered a season-ending ACL injury days into his first training camp, and it’s been an upward battle for the former second-round pick ever since.
Following a successful rookie season, Dan Feeney took a step back in 2018, finishing as one of the lowest graded interior offensive lineman. He fared well as a run blocker, but struggled in pass protection immensely. Meanwhile, Michael Schofield was the superior player out of the two but he still had his woes at times.
Many are expecting Lamp to get a starting job given how poor the interior part of the offensive line finished in 2018. But he will have to show he can stay injury-free and assert himself as guy that can actually thrive on an NFL offensive line after missing two consecutive years.
Linebacker
After a slew of acquisitions this offseason, the linebacker group is the deepest it’s been in quite sometime. The Chargers brought back Denzel Perryman, signed Thomas Davis and drafted Drue Tranquill and Emeke Egbule. The team will also have Kyzir White and Jatavis Brown coming back from injuries.
You can likely pencil in the veterans Davis and Perryman as the team’s starting linebackers. But beyond the two starting spots, the Chargers spend most of their time in nickel or dime defenses these days, which means there will be competition for playing time and roster spots.
White had won the starting WILL position before having his rookie season cut short three weeks into it. He bulked up to 230-235 and has the ability to play all three linebacker positions. Brown emerged as one of the team’s top tacklers in 2018 but he will have to show he can stay healthy. Tranquill, the team’s fourth-round selection, was a standout in the spring and it wouldn’t be surprising to quickly work his way up the depth chart.
They also have Adrian Phillips, who is listed as a safety but he will serve as another dime linebacker and a bigger slot cornerback.
Uchenna Nwosu is set to play a bigger role in his second season, primarily at OTTO in the team’s base package. Egbule, the team’s sixth-round selection, is projected to be his backup but he also has some positional versatility.
Cornerback
The Chargers have Casey Hayward and Desmond King slotted as two of their starting cornerbacks, but the spot opposite of Hayward is up for grabs.
After a stellar 2017 campaign, an ankle injury suffered in training camp sidelined Trevor Williams until the start of the season, and it hampered him all year long before he was eventually shutdown in December.
Michael Davis came in to fill in for Williams last season and played in every game for the team. He finished the season with 50 tackles, eight passes defensed and two forced fumbles. Davis was a key contributor down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Now healthy, Williams will look to bounce back from the injury that ended his campaign in 2018, but he won’t just be handed his starting spot back. Davis is motivated since he was given a taste of what it was like to be a starter last season in his absence.
Free Safety
Derwin James has the strong safety spot locked up but the free safety position is completely up in the air after the Chargers decided to part ways with Jahleel Addae.
The team hit a home run when they were able to snag Nasir Adderley in the second-round of the 2019 NFL draft. He had been pegged as an option with their No. 28 overall selection throughout the pre-draft process. The rangy former Delaware ballhawk is an ideal fit in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s defense.
Rayshawn Jenkins returns for his third season. The former fourth-round selection ended 2018 on a great note when Los Angeles rolled with him at free safety in both postseason games. Jenkins dropped weight from 220 to under 200 pounds to play faster at the single-high role.
Los Angeles re-signed Jaylen Watkins in February before he could become a free agent. Watkins was on his way to earning a starting job last summer before he suffered a season-ending ACL injury during the team’s second preseason game.
Undrafted free agents Adarius Pickett and spring standout Roderic Teamer Jr. will also be fighting for a spot.
Defensive Tackle
The interior part of the defensive line went through a bit of a makeover this spring. After losing Darius Philon and Corey Liuget, the Chargers filled their voids in the draft with the selections of Jerry Tillery and Cortez Broughton. The team also brought back Brandon Mebane and Damion Square.
How the playing time shakes out behind them is the question.
Tillery, the team’s first-round selection, is a gifted athlete with great size who wins in a variety of ways. It’s unlikely he goes into Week 1 as the starter as he’s been recovering from he shoulder injury, but he should quickly work his way into that role.
Mebane, who is entering Year 13, is nothing more than a valuable run defender at this point. He is coveted for his strong locker room presence, which is one of the biggest reasons he was re-signed.
Square is coming off his best season yet as a professional. He played anywhere from the nose tackle position to an edge rusher at times, showcasing his versatility.
Jones didn’t emerge until late when he got an uptick in snaps. It’s uncertain whether the team views him as a nose tackle or three-technique but he must show more promise as a pass-rusher in training camp in order to earn a starting role.
Broughton, the seventh-round selection, will likely be fighting for the last spot with Reggie Howard and T.Y. McGill. He has potential to be the steal of this year’s draft for the Chargers given his ability to get after the quarterback. If he makes the roster, he should be a key sub-package pass-rushing specialist.
