When the Los Angeles Chargers drafted Kyle Kennard in the fourth round this spring, it looked like the former South Carolina standout had a clear path to becoming the team’s fourth edge rusher. That path is suddenly far more complicated.
Second-year pass rusher Caleb Murphy is forcing his way onto the 53-man roster—and potentially ahead of Kennard.
Murphy has been one of the standout performers through camp, and his momentum carried into the Hall of Fame Game against the Lions. He logged two quarterback pressures, two run stops, and two tackles in just 26 snaps, and contributed to a forced fumble on the opening kickoff. He also continues to play on both first-team kickoff and punt coverage units—an area where Kennard has yet to carve out a role.
By contrast, Kennard played 23 defensive snaps in his preseason debut but registered just one tackle. He was shut out in every major pass-rushing and run-defense category: no sacks, no pressures, no stops.
Has Caleb Murphy Usurped Kyle Kennard On The Chargers Depth Chart?
That disparity in production has raised an uncomfortable but increasingly relevant question: Is Murphy now the favorite for the fourth edge rusher spot?
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter acknowledged the shift in tone during Sunday’s media session, saying Kennard is “still kind of figuring out the best way for him to rush.” That echoed what The Athletic’s Daniel Popper observed in camp, writing: “Kennard has shown up as a physical run defender. But he has yet to flash as a pass rusher.” It’s a concerning note for a rookie drafted largely on the strength of his 2024 breakout season in the SEC.
Kennard tallied 10 sacks, 24 pressures, and three forced fumbles in his final year of college, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and the Nagurski Award. But so far in Chargers camp, that high-end production hasn’t translated.
Decision Goes To Special Teams
The Chargers are deep at edge rusher with Khalil Mack, Bud Dupree, and Tuli Tuipulotu locked into the top three roles. And while Minter floated the idea of keeping five edge defenders, roster math could make that difficult. Special teams often becomes the tiebreaker—and that’s another category where Murphy currently holds the edge.
There’s still time for Kennard to respond, and the Chargers coaching staff remains intrigued by his upside. “The production speaks for itself,” Minter said earlier in camp. “You don’t become SEC Defensive Player of the Year or win the Nagurski Award if you’re not a really dominant player in that conference.”
Kennard, for his part, said after rookie minicamp that he simply wanted to prove he’s dependable. “The X’s and O’s part will come… but for [the staff] to know that I’m going to be in the right place, do my job, communicate, and be dependable to my teammates—that’s probably what I’m looking to show the most.”
The opportunity to learn behind Mack and Dupree is still there. But with cuts approaching and Murphy continuing to shine, Kennard’s path to the active roster no longer looks so clear.
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