Chargers Roster Spotlights: Jerand Bradley, WR Convert With A Past of Dominance

Jerand Bradley, born on October 10, 2002, in Dallas, Texas, played his high school ball at John Paul II for three years, finalizing his career at DeSoto, where he was a wide receiver who earned a three-star recruiting status, according to 247Sports.

The lengthy wide receiver saw his commitment to Texas Tech, where he was expected to contribute as a big-body playmaker. Bradley, as a true freshman, was able to show flashes, earning 99 yards on five catches. This allowed for his career season in 2022, where he earned 744 yards and six touchdowns, becoming one of college football's most intriguing freshman stars.

In 2023, as a preseason watchlist selectee for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, he unfortunately took a step back in production, with 431 yards and four touchdowns, not seeing nearly as many targets go his way.

This led to the former three-star recruit to transfer to Boston College, where he barely saw any playing time with 94 yards and 2 touchdowns. In his final year of eligibility, Bradley transferred one last time, this time to Kansas State.

Bradley saw similar production to his 2024 year, never topping his redshirt freshman campaign. With a lackluster campaign, it was an uphill battle for Bradley to get drafted, thus allowing his decision to transition to TE, where the league is starting to value the position more and more, with less demand coming from the college football ranks.

Chargers Jerand Bradley, TE/WR Kansas State

The Los Angeles Chargers saw an experienced wide receiver convert who has strong measurables and decided to add him to their 90-man roster for 2026. With proof that this type of transition can work, with expected weapons, Oronde Gadsden II and David Njoku, both having had this experience going from wide receiver to tight end, why not take a chance on another talented convert?

2025 Season Stats

9 Games
13 Catches
184 Yards
2 Touchdowns

Measurables

Mockdraftable and RAS unavailable. Below is his listed measurables and Pro Day workout numbers.

Height: 6'5"
Weight: 241 lbs
Arm Length: 34.13"
Hand Size: 9.88"
40-Yard Dash: 4.62 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.46 seconds
3-Cone Drill: 7.20 seconds
Vertical Jump: 32.5"
Broad Jump: 120" (10'0")
Bench Press: 15 reps

Contract Status

"Jerand Bradley signed a 3 year, $3,112,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $12,000 signing bonus, $12,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,037,333. In 2026, Bradley will earn a base salary of $885,000 and a signing bonus of $12,000, while carrying a cap hit of $889,000 and a dead cap value of $12,000." - Spotrac

Jerand Bradley's 2026 Season Outlook

With NFL Scout, Lance Zierlein having a fairly negative overview of Bradley, his path to the Chargers' final roster will be an uphill climb. "Bradley struggles to play through route contact and lacks footwork/short-area burst as a route-runner. He’s primarily a zone-beater underneath with value as a long target in the red zone. His athleticism will become a plus with a position change from wide receiver to tight end, but he’s not much of a blocker right now. Bradley will need to prove he can uncover at a better clip for consideration as a pass-catching tight end in the league."

However, the Chargers still have a possible opening for the fourth TE spot on the roster, and a need for a practice squad competitor, thus leaving the door open for a guy like Bradley to develop and show the Bolts he is a capable NFL contributor.

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