Chargers late-round pick has already locked himself into a roster spot

Travis Wakeman

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Chargers late-round pick has already locked himself into a roster spot image

The Los Angeles Chargers made strides to improve the wide receiver position this offseason, bringing back Mike Williams in free agency and then using a second-round pick to select Tre Harris out of Ole Miss. 

While Harris was a bit late to report to the team after a short holdout and Mike Williams abruptly retired, fifth-round pick KeAndre Lambert-Smith has gone from a guy many thought would be fighting for a roster spot to one who not only looks like a lock to make the team but also be a regular contributor as a rookie. 

Lambert-Smith has been red hot in training camp, and he parlayed that into a nice showing in the preseason opener, the Hall of Fame Game against the Detroit Lions. Lambert-Smith was not just a guy running through the motions of the preseason on Thursday night; he was a guy Chargers quarterback Trey Lance was looking for when he needed a play. 

Lambert-Smith figured to be a back-of-the-roster player the team could use in the slot if he made the roster at all. But he has shown in camp that he could be a player the team uses everywhere, particularly a team that seems to have many questions at the wide receiver position. 

Ladd McConkey is fantastic, and the hopes are high for Harris. But Quentin Johnston still leaves a lot to be desired and Derius Davis has only shown short flashes in his young career. 

The preseason could not be going any better than it has for Lambert-Smith and as a result, there should be absolutely no way he doesn't make the 53-man roster. 

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.