With only one week of preseason left and less than a week to go before final cuts on August 29th hit us, it’s time to do a final projection of the 53-man Los Angeles Chargers roster. A couple of months ago an earlier projection was done, so we can compare and see what has changed since then.
2023 Los Angeles Chargers Roster Projection: Final Version
Quarterback (3)
Justin Herbert, Easton Stick, Max Duggan
As stated before, with the emergency quarterback rule back in play, there’s little reason for the Chargers to not keep three quarterbacks on the roster – and recent precedent suggests they will anyway. There are only three on the roster to begin with, so there’s no competition for spots either.
Running Back (5)
Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, Zander Horvath (FB)
Ekeler, Kelley, and Spiller all have their spots locked in – as should Horvath, the fullback, despite Kellen Moore not making much use of fullbacks in previous years. Originally I predicted only four halfbacks to make the roster, but Elijah Dotson has had a strong preseason so far and is making a strong case for a roster spot. The only other real competitor, Larry Rountree III, was released after a very poor Week 1 performance. If Spiller continues to disappoint in Year Two, Dotson may find himself in the rotation more.
Wide Receiver (6)
Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Quentin Johnston, Josh Palmer, Derius Davis, Jalen Guyton
A whopping five of these spots are locked down – Allen and Williams, of course, as well as the two rookies Johnston and Davis, plus Palmer, who may end up being one of the better WR4s in the league. The question becomes who will get a potential sixth spot. In training camp, it looked like John Hightower could be the man to step up; however, we have not seen much from him in the preseason. At the moment, Guyton is likely still the favorite to keep the spot. However, if he is still on PUP when the regular season starts, then either Hightower or Keelan Doss (who has had a solid preseason) could get a temporary spot.
Tight End (3)
Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Stone Smartt
Everett and Parham are the two lock-ins here. Originally it was presumed that Tre McKitty would keep his TE3 spot, but after a shaky training camp and being near-nonexistent in preseason so far, the Chargers may just end up running out of patience with him – especially when Stone Smartt is showing up to play. A certain quote on McKitty from Staley in training camp that was basically coach-speak for “he is not good” may further indicate this.
Offensive Line (9)
Rashawn Slater, Corey Linsley, Zion Johnson, Jamaree Salyer, Trey Pipkins, Will Clapp, Jordan McFadden, Foster Sarell, Brenden Jaimes
Not really any surprises here. After the starting lineup of Slater, Linsley, Johnson, Salyer, and Pipkins, we have the backup center Clapp, and backup tackle Sarell. McFadden’s spot also appears to be secure as a rookie. The final spot is a little more up for grabs between Brenden Jaimes and Zack Bailey, but I think Jaimes gets the nod for his positional versatility – something the Chargers currently value heavily.
Defensive Linemen (6)
Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Otito Ogbonnia, Morgan Fox, Nick Williams, Scott Matlock
There’s a lot of good competition here so far, so this may be among the toughest decisions to make for the coaching staff. Ultimately, nothing changes here from my original prediction – however, an extra spot may be temporarily open due to injury. Austin Johnson is coming off PUP, but Ogobonnia is still uncertain for the start of the regular season. In the event Ogbonnia gets sent to PUP or even IR, the first choice should be Jerrod Clark. It’s not out of the question that he steals Matlock’s spot – both of them have shown promise.
Linebackers (9)
Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Eric Kendricks, Kenneth Murray, Daiyan Henley, Chris Rumph II, Tuli Tuipolutou, Nick Niemann, Amen Ogbongbemiga
Surprises are unlikely here. There are about seven spots all locked down – after the starters Bosa and Mack, there’s not really any significant competition for backup edge rusher spots beyond Rumph and the rookie Tuipulotu. After that, three inside linebacker spots are taken up between Kendricks, Murray, and the rookie Henley. Initially, it seemed like there could be some competition for the backup spots, but it looks like the status quo with Niemann and Ogbongbemiga will be retained.
Cornerbacks (5)
J.C. Jackson, Michael Davis, Asante Samuel Jr, Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard
It seems like Jackson will be ready to go in Week 1 – a truly impressive recovery, given that patella tendon injuries have been known to be career-altering. That means the lineup of Jackson, Davis, and Samuel Jr should be ready to go. Ja’Sir Taylor is the main other factor in the picture as possibly in play for work in a nickel role. Deane Leonard has had a good preseason so far and should keep his spot. Tiawan Mullen has done well too, but there may just not be room on the Chargers roster for him for now. However, he is at least a lock for a practice squad spot.
Safeties (4)
Derwin James, Alohi Gilman, JT Woods, Raheem Layne
The Chargers have chosen to go all-in with Gilman as the starter opposite Derwin James. There have not been any unexpected breakouts in the safeties corps, so we can expect Woods and Layne to remain the backups to James and Gilman. Woods still seems a little iffy, but Staley seems to have a high amount of faith in him, particularly for utilizing him in formations with three safeties. We will see if that comes to fruition this year.
Special Teams (3)
Cameron Dicker, J.K. Scott, Josh Harris
J.K. Scott (punter) and Josh Harris (long snapper) are the only players at their respective positions on the roster, so no competition for them. Dustin Hopkins was kept on the roster to compete with Cameron Dicker, but it still seems like the job is ultimately Dicker’s to lose.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
