The Chargers are only a couple of padded practices into 2026 camp, but a few names are already forcing their way into the conversation.
That matters even more right now because Los Angeles has new coordinators on both sides of the ball, and camp is as much about teaching and evaluation as it is about installation. The staff is learning who can handle what, while the players are trying to show where they fit. So far, a handful of guys have done more than just show up - they’ve made real noise.
Branson Taylor is one of the biggest surprises. He came into the offseason program as something close to a long shot after being a sixth-round pick in 2025, with the Chargers unable to find the right position for him after he played tackle in college. He spent last season on the practice squad, then finally got a chance to play and start in place of the starters in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.
Even with that late-season look, Taylor still entered camp with little buzz and looked like the kind of player fighting just to stay on the roster. Instead, he’s pushing himself into the left guard competition. Taylor was the first lineman with the first team in back-to-back practices, including the first fully padded practice, and he’s now looking like a real contender for the starting job.
A big part of that jump is the shape he arrived in. Taylor came into the offseason program looking much better physically, as if he was already ready for Mike McDaniel’s up-tempo offense. His footwork and movement have stood out, and when that’s paired with a solid anchor, he’s been getting attention in the trenches.
Ladd McConkey has also started to look like the player the Chargers hoped he’d become when camp opened. Expectations were high because of McDaniel’s arrival, but a hamstring tweak in OTAs limited McConkey’s live reps in the new offense and slowed his start in camp.
That early lag is gone now. McConkey has quickly picked things up, and the interesting part is that he’s not only flashing as a YAC threat.
Justin Herbert has been finding him deep down the field, too. McConkey may not be as fast as rookie Brenen Thompson, but he did run a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and that speed is starting to matter again as Herbert and McConkey build timing and trust on vertical routes.
On defense, Justin Eboigbe is making the kind of impression that changes how a coaching staff thinks about a player. The Chargers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2024 draft out of Alabama as a stash-and-develop prospect, and he basically treated his rookie year like a redshirt season before making a real leap in his second year as a versatile pass-rushing defensive tackle.
He was expected to keep filling a similar role in 2026, but camp has shown more. Eboigbe is pressing for a bigger role, and The Athletic’s senior writer Daniel Popper said that on the first day of fully padded practice, Eboigbe was “virtually unblockable.”
Jamaree Caldwell is another young defensive lineman who’s not waiting around for the usual developmental curve. He played well as a rookie and has picked up right where he left off in his second training camp, working alongside Teair Tart and Dalvin Tomlinson. Caldwell has been a steady problem for the offense and has made life difficult throughout camp.
The Chargers are going to need a significant role from Caldwell, and he’s answering the call early. Players at his position usually take a few years to fully settle in at the NFL level, but Caldwell looks like he’s trying to beat that timetable in just his second camp.
In Other News...
Chargers Took A Bigger Swing At Center Than Fans Realized
The Chargers search for help at center had more layers to it than the eventual move for Tyler Biadasz suggested. Los Angeles viewed the position as a real priority this offseason, and Biadasz became the answer after he was cut loose by Washington. He was brought in as a fit for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels scheme, with the expectation that he could provide a clearer upgrade over Bradley Bozeman.
Tyler Linderbaum was part of the conversation, too, which hints at how aggressive the Chargers were willing to be in reworking the middle of the offensive line. Instead of landing the younger option they had eyes on, they pivoted once Biadasz became available, and that decision now sits as one of the more interesting behind-the-scenes storylines of the offseason. Linderbaum ended up elsewhere, but the Chargers willingness to chase a bigger swing says plenty about how seriously they treated the spot. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Alt's Recovery Could Change The Chargers Line In 2026
Joe Alt's first days around training camp brought a welcome update for the Chargers, who spent much of last season navigating life without one of their most important young linemen. The right tackle missed significant time in 2025 with a high ankle sprain, and his offseason has been centered on rehab and getting back the confidence and quickness that make him such a key piece of the front line. His return matters not just for the upcoming season, but for the shape of the unit the Chargers want to build moving forward.
Alt is expected to slide back into his natural spot on the right side alongside Rashawn Slater, giving Los Angeles the kind of tackle pairing it has been trying to stabilize. If Alt can stay healthy and recapture his rhythm, the ripple effect could reach well beyond this fall and into the longer-term plan for the line in 2026, when continuity up front may be just as important as talent. [Read more 🡒]
Tre Harris Is Forcing His Way Into The Chargers WR Picture
Tre Harris arrived in camp with the kind of pedigree that usually earns a long look, and he has given the Chargers plenty of reason to keep watching. The second-round pick from last year has clearly taken a step forward during training camp under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, showing the sort of development teams hope to see once a young receiver settles into an NFL program.
McDaniel has already pointed to Harriss improved strength and explosiveness as signs he is pushing his way into the receiver mix. With the offense being reworked and spots in the depth chart still there to claim, Harris is turning his offseason progress into a real case for a bigger role, and the next stretch of camp should tell the rest of the story. [Read more 🡒]