EL SEGUNDO — One by one, the Chargers’ training camp battles have come into sharp focus. Bradley Bozeman won the center position over Zion Johnson, who will remain at left guard. The tight end position appears to be a rotation among Ty Conklin, Tucker Fisk, Will Dissly and rookie Oronde Gadsden.
The defensive line seems settled among Da’Shawn Hand, Otito Ogbonnia and Teair Tart with Naquan Jones giving them a push. Caleb Murphy has played himself into the conversation at outside linebacker with superb play in preseason victories over the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints.
There is one position that remains in flux, though.
Who wins the starting cornerback spots is up in the air with a little more than three weeks to go before the Chargers’ regular-season opener on against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 5 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Plus, matters could still change again and again once the season starts.
It could be for the best, too.
Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still didn’t begin their rookie season as starters, but they won the jobs slowly and certainly by midseason. Injuries played a part in their enhanced roles, but they were clearly qualified to have the jobs they had by the end of a successful season for the Chargers’ defense.
The Chargers gave up 17.7 points per game, the best mark in the NFL for 2024.
What happens as training camp continues and the Chargers’ final two preseason games are played remains to be seen. Who claims the starting roles also will be determined in the coming days and weeks, and that’s a good thing as far as Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is concerned.
“We’re three weeks and two days from playing (against the Chiefs), so we’re not anywhere near set at that position,” Minter said Wednesday. “As far as who’s out there and who’s playing what, we’re trying to figure that out. We’ve got great pieces. I feel really good about a lot of those guys.”
Hart and Still are in the mix, of course. But there is a long list of players who are battling for playing time, including Donte Jackson at one spot and Benjamin St-Juste at another. The depth chart goes deep. There are veterans Deane Leonard and Ja’Sir Taylor and rookies Nikko Reed and Eric Rogers, too.
Reed and Rogers certainly cannot be overlooked.
They excelled in the games against the Lions and Saints, and that’s contributed to the ongoing competition at cornerback. Reed returned an interception 60 yards against Detroit, setting up a touchdown. Rogers returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown against New Orleans.
Reed sustained a leg injury in the final moments of the Chargers’ victory over the Saints on Sunday and has been sidelined for the first two practices this week. Minter said only that Reed was “working through something,” declining to specify an injury that forced Reed to use crutches after the game.
“It’s just a matter of figuring it out by situations, by personnel, by down and distance, by receivers we’re playing, by us being able to utilize what we have,” Minter said in explaining how the Chargers’ cornerback depth will come in handy. “I love the flexibility we have in that room.”
EXTRA POINTS
Outside linebacker Khalil Mack was a constant presence in the backfield during practice on Tuesday and, especially, Wednesday, increasing the tempo of his play in team drills that featured the Chargers’ expected starting defense matched against their anticipated second-string offense. …
Mack and safety Derwin James Jr. each said they would be ready for the start of the regular season despite the cancellation of the Chargers’ joint practice with the Rams, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday. Neither defensive standout is expected to play in preseason games. …
Trey Lance, who is the leading candidate to be quarterback Justin Herbert’s backup, wore a brace on his right hand and did not participate in team drills for the second consecutive day. Herbert, Taylor Heinicke and DJ Uiagalelei got the reps in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills Wednesday. …
The Chargers signed cornerback Nehemiah Shelton and waived cornerback Jordan Oladokun. Shelton was on the Chargers’ practice squad last season and was an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 2023. He played college football at San Jose State and for one season at Long Beach City College.