The Chargers Undrafted Free Agents With The Best Shot To Make The Roster

With the NFL Draft a couple of weeks behind us, it’s safe to say that the Los Angeles Chargers absolutely crushed the draft from the first pick to the last pick. As always, after the conclusion of the draft, general manager Tom Telesco and new head coach Brandon Staley went straight to the phones to make a run at the crowded pool of undrafted free agent talent.

With the Chargers sitting tight at 13 and getting Rashawn Slater to fall right into their laps, and then to have Asante Samuel Jr. drop to 47, that in and of itself was already a huge victory for LA.

While the Chargers draft class was highly regarded as one of the better hauls in all of the NFL, their undrafted free agent signings also have a shot to crack the 53-man roster and suit up for Coach Staley in SoFi Stadium in 2021.

So, let’s take a look and see which of the undrafted free agent signings could make the roster.

Chargers Undrafted Free Agent Signings

That is a rather impressive group of undrafted free agent signings. This year seemed to be full of talented players going undrafted for a number of reasons. The lack of combine runs, the high number of opt-outs due to COVID-19, and the lack of scouts traveling and watching games poised a lot of issues for NFL squads. Nonetheless, the Chargers should be happy with this group.

All in all, there should be a few players that crack the roster when Week One rolls around.

DB Ben DeLuca, Charlotte

DeLuca is exactly what the Chargers needed – a safety. More than that, he’s a holder of many records for Charlotte. He is the all-time leader in tackles, forced fumbles, and pass breakups. He was a four-year starter at strong safety and the exact type of player Staley loves to have on his squad.

DeLuca has a serious shot at cracking the roster, and more than that, a serious chance at becoming part of the defensive rotation. A guy that was projected to go in the later rounds fell undrafted, for some odd reason, and the Bolts immediately scooped him up. He’s a ballhawk, an excellent tackler, and his instincts are uncoachable.

K Alex Kessman, Pittsburgh

A kicker? Yes, the Chargers could definitely use a kicker. Of course, Michael Badgley was in hot water during the 2020 season, and for good reason. He went 24-33 on field goals and missed three extra points.

Simply put, that can’t happen, hence the signing of Kessman to – at the very least – ignite a fire under Badgley.

Kessman can boot it, plain and simple. In his college career, he converted 12 of 18 kicks from 50 yards or further, including a 58-yarder against Boston College. On the flip side is his utter inaccuracy. He only converted on 71 percent of field goals as a whole in his time at Pittsburgh, so that could be concerning.

However, the Chargers can’t afford to have the Money Badger miss kicks in crucial situations again, and perhaps Kessman works on his accuracy and takes the spot as the team’s kicker.

T Kyle Spalding, SDSU | T Darius Harper, Cincinnati

These two are grouped together because they both should make the roster. The Chargers had a mass exodus of offensive line players leave in free agency. Everybody knows how many injuries the Bolts have had upfront over the course of the past decade.

Harper has terrific size at 6’7 and 305 pounds and was named as an honorable mention candidate for All-AAC honors in his senior season. While Harper has some areas that need improvement, the Chargers can never have too many choices at the offensive line given their history of injuries in that area.

As for Spalding, he was named to First Team All-Mountain West honors at San Diego State. He’s a bully who can provide the physicality upfront that this team needs. In what has become a revamped offensive line, Spalding could very well become a rotational player and be the next man up barring an injury to one of the starters.

Chargers Undrafted Free Agent Sleeper: TE Hunter Kampmoyer, Oregon

Another tight end, really? Well, if Justin Herbert has any say, Kampmoyer could end up snagging a roster spot. With the addition of Jared Cook and the Bolts drafting Tre’ McKitty, this seems like a far-off possibility.

However, his blocking ability might be another huge key to the Chargers’ desires upfront. While he might need to put on a little muscle before going up against opposing defenses, he can sure throw some mean blocks.

More than that, he is a decent pass-catcher. He had 14 grabs for 161 yards and three scores in his final year as an Oregon Duck. The Chargers didn’t snag Penei Sewell, but maybe they will do Herbert a favor and grab his other former college teammate.

At the very least, Kampmoyer snags a spot on the practice squad and gets called up if one of the other tight ends gets an injury.