Chargers UDFA might've locked in 53-man roster spot with showing vs. Lions

Los Angeles Chargers rookie cornerback Nikko Reed doesn’t look like he’ll be denied a 53-man roster spot this summer.

Reed had an extremely strong start to training camp, popping up often in positive writeups and highlights as a guy making a big impact, especially when it came to being around the ball.

But those were practices. For Reed, the question was always simple: Will it translate to an actual game at the pro level?

Apparently so.

Thursday night during the Chargers’ preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, Reed jumped in front of a pass for an interception and took it back 60 yards.

That was the highlight that actually managed to overshadow the fact he also had a deflection and special teams tackle by that point in the game, too.

Reed, undrafted out of Oregon, was just another name on the college free agents list for the Chargers after the draft itself.

Now? It’s feeling like he’s already locked in a 53 spot. One year removed from the Chargers finding Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart in the fifth round, it feels a little like deja vu, too.

we see you, rook

📺 | @nflonnbc pic.twitter.com/KZO2qZ3t6D
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 1, 2025

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