The Los Angeles Chargers, along with the rest of the NFL, are coming down to the wire in their preseason adventures. With a preseason filled with ups and downs, the Chargers’ UDFAs and their abundance of back-end competitive battles have created a plethora of storylines that have been interesting to monitor.
The most interesting storyline of it all is which undrafted rookie free agents left it all out on the field and are so close to forcing the hand of the coaching staff to keep them on the final 53-man roster?
Two Chargers UDFAs Who Are So Close To Making The Final Roster
Nikko Reed – Cornerback Room Facing Attrition, Reed Could Be Next Man Up
Coming out of the Chargers’ first preseason game, the Hall-of-Fame game, Nikko Reed was the name on the minds of most of preseason-inclined NFL fans. The UDFA out of Oregon was given the second most guaranteed money from the Chargers in the undrafted rookie free agent signing process, only behind the soon-to-be-mentioned Raheim “Rocket” Sanders.
This second-largest investment in a Chargers UDFA has paid off so far in the off-season, as Reed was making a seemingly a play each day, impressing Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter. This allowed him to work early in the Hall-of-Fame game, which yielded Reed an extremely impressive interception, another pass breakup, and a pressure as a blitzer. He coupled this with two special teams tackles; he played with his hair on fire, ready to make this final Chargers 53-man roster after cut-down day.
.@chargers CB Nikko Reed first caught my eye for the 2025 draft class with a 80.5 @PFF coverage grade last season
First sentence in his scouting report: “Reed has a high IQ for the game with recogniztion & anticipation”
From the report to the field:pic.twitter.com/o4QtEkY3A3
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) August 1, 2025
He earned first-team reps on defense in practice after his performance, which gave Bolts fans the idea he has a chance to crack the roster. Unfortunately for Reed, he suffered an injury that held him out of a preseason game against the Saints and the practices leading up to said game.
Moving forward to the very next preseason game, Reed was able to play 52 defensive snaps, recording a 63.0 PFF defensive grade. This performance was much quieter, but showed improvement in his tackling ability, something that was mentioned as a hole in his stellar, aforementioned performance in the Hall-of-Fame game.
Now his outlook on making this Chargers roster is getting clearer. If the Chargers were to keep six cornerbacks on the roster, and the injuries to Deane Leonard, fellow Chargers UDFA, Eric Rogers, are as serious as we currently presume, Reed has an assumed spot on the roster.
Projected CB Room If 6 Were Kept:
Donte Jackson, Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, Benjamin St. Juste, Ja’Sir Taylor, Nikko Reed
The only name worth considering for Reed’s roster spot is the Chargers’ seventh-round selection, Trikweze Bridges. Outside of draft capital and one impressive practice, Bridges has made next to zero case for his spot on the roster, even with the injuries.
Raheim “Rocket” Sanders – Could Survive Chargers Roster Cuts Due To Injuries To Position Room
The most hyped Chargers UDFA signing was Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. As a day three prospect turned UDFA, Sanders was awarded the most guaranteed money from the Chargers out of any UDFA they signed throughout the entire cycle, showing how much they liked him and were happy to get him on their initial 90-man roster.
Sanders had a slow start to training camp season, as an injury kept him out for the majority of the early part of camp. He was able to find his footing as the true pre-season began, suiting up for weeks two & three. Rocket instantly showed why he was so highly regarded against the Saints, rushing for 42 yards on ten carries, leading to a 4.2 Yards Per Attempt average. He added a touchdown, 19 yards after contact, and an impressive catch for 11 yards, which opened the floodgates for Sanders to be considered for the Chargers’ final 53-man roster.
Moving forward to week three against the Rams, the highest-paid Chargers UDFA regressed in YPA, but to no fault of his own. He earned better PFF grades across the board, doubled his missed tackles forced and had nearly the same yards after contact on half the attempts. Sanders was also able to add two more catches and another rushing TD to his resume.
The #Chargers list RB Rocket Sanders at 230 pounds… He does not move like a back who weighs that much. pic.twitter.com/LIOwxLbO5s
— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) August 18, 2025
He is still in competition with Kimani Vidal and Nyheim Miller-Hines, who both provide more value in the receiving game, and Miller-Hines is showing great tape in pass protection. Luckily for Sanders, the Chargers’ big-market signee, Najee Harris, is dealing with an injury and could be placed on IR, effectively opening an extra spot on the roster.
Going into week four of the preseason for the Chargers, Sanders needs another impressive performance to cement himself on this final roster.
Main Image: Kirby Lee – Imagn Images
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