Instant draft grade proves Chargers knocked it out of the park with Kyle Kennard

The Chargers landed an 11-5 sack star from the SEC, a selection met with praise.

South Carolina Gamecocks edge Kyle Kennard reacts as Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia protects the ball. | Stephanie Amador / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers have put together a solid draft, which continued on Friday. At pick No. 125, L.A. selected South Carolina defensive end Kyle Kennard.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 254 pounds, Kennard recorded 11.5 sacks in 2024 for a stingy Gamecocks defense. He joins Jamree Caldwell from Oregon, the team's third-round pick.

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Like Caldwell, the instant analysis for Kennard is positive. USA Today's Ayrton Ostly gave them an A for the selection, while calling him a great fit with Los Angeles.

"Kennard is a twitchy, high-motor, productive edge rusher with good size and long arms. He racked up 24 career sacks at two stops in college and should be a great fit with the Chargers as a rookie."

South Carolina Gamecocks edge Kyle Kennard (5) celebrates after a fourth-down stop against the LSU Tigers. | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Chargers have put together a solid draft, starting with North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton in Round 1. They followed that pick with Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris in Round 2, giving Justin Herbert a big wideout to pair with Ladd McConkey.

The Chargers have six more selections remaining in the 2025 NFL draft, four of which occur in the sixth round. It would be surprising to see them use all of these selections, so stay tuned for more action.

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