1 Chargers Player Who Helped Their Roster Chances Most at Minicamp

The Chargers' final 53-man roster has a new contender.

Los Angeles Chargers minicamp. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Generally speaking, when it comes to player breakouts and final roster chances, most of the developments happen in training camp. 

But don’t tell the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers just had a productive OTAs and minicamp session. Hype abounded for the offense, which has been rebuilt to the liking of new coordinator Mike McDaniel. He’s even got Justin Herbert reworking his footwork for the first time. 

Things were quieter for the defense, where new coordinator Chris O’Leary takes over for Jesse Minter and aims to keep a theme of continuity going strong into the season. 

That defense, though, is where one name made a serious push for the final roster already. 

Chargers undrafted free agent’s final roster push starts early

Nadame Tucker | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chargers fans can told ya so this one all they want, but it’s still refreshing to see: 

Undrafted pass-rusher Nadame Tucker is already starting to break out. 

Tucker, a Western Michigan product, already had an inside edge, pun intended. He joined the Chargers, at least in part, because he played under O’Leary at Western Michigan. There, he was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, had 14.5 sacks and paced the FBS with 21 tackles for loss. 

O’Leary is more than familiar with what Tucker can do, and the player says the coach helped get him to this point. 

"I feel like he held me to a certain standard. Always reminding me what the pros were doing even when we were in practice and stuff like that," Tucker told Chargers.com’s Eric Smith in February. "It kept me on my P's and Q's and gave me a different perspective on how I looked at the game. Just wanted to be like one of those guys."

Fast forward to now, big names like Khalil Mack keep mentioning Tucker in media pressers, which says something about the impression the college free agent has made around the building and on the field. 

The reality? The Chargers need strong depth behind Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu. Bud Dupree is getting up there in age and a cut candidate. Kyle Kennard is running out of time to prove he was worth the draft investment. Akheem Mesidor is a first-round pick, but will need to adapt to the pros, too. 

An older rookie himself who went undrafted in part because he never played a major workload before his final season, Tucker’s strong start before training camp even gets underway certainly seems to suggest he’s got a serious shot at the 53. 

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