Chargers' former seventh-round pick now making big rookie plays elsewhere

The Los Angeles Chargers concluded their vastly successful 2025 NFL draft with the selection of Florida DB Trikweze Bridges, with their 256th overall pick.

This selection came as a surprise as Bridges was an up-and-down college player who was turning 25 mid-way through his rookie year. An aging DB with an unimpressive resume may have given the Bolts questions, but his 6'3 frame, coupled with his 9.17 RAS score, seemed to outweigh the negatives.

Trikweze Bridges was drafted in round 7 pick 256 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.17 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 231 out of 2761 CB from 1987 to 2025. https://t.co/x0hERKlkbU pic.twitter.com/pqB8OBHqcb
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 26, 2025

Bridges during the entirety of the off-season had up and down moments, having days of interceptions and days of being torched down the sideline for a touchdown. The preseason yielded more of the same.

Bridges gave up over 200 yards in the preseason with an NFL passer rating allowed of 137.5. This coupled with the Chargers DB room being quite busy, especially after the elite preseason performance of Nikko Reed and Eric Rogers, Bridges time seemed to be up in Los Angeles.

The Chargers released Bridges on cut-down day, opting to keep UDFA rookie Nikko Reed on the active 53-man roster.

2025 seventh-round selection no longer with Chargers; is now making plays elsewhere

Luckily for the Florida DB, the Dallas Cowboys had enough interest in his tools to claim him off waivers, allowing him to be part of their final 53-man roster.

Bridges first earned his way by being a special teams mainstay, playing some defensive snaps in Weeks 2 & 3. As the season went on, Bridges was finally able to start on defense, playing 53 & 48 snaps in Weeks 7 & 8, respectively.

Week 8, the former Chargers draft selection had an interception on Broncos quarterback, Bo Nix, showing that the Bolts might have missed out on a defensive contributor.

Former Gator Trikweze Bridges snags the first INT of his NFL career pic.twitter.com/dWzloBf8Fi
— Tyler Carmona (@TylerCarmona) October 26, 2025

While Bridges is taking the field and making some splash plays, it is important to take a deeper dive into where he ranks across all rookie cornerbacks with at least 75 snaps.

In overall defensive grade, Bridges ranks last at 17th (39.5), T-14 rush defense grade (52.9), last at 17th in coverage grade (37.4), 12th in receptions allowed percentage (61.1%), 3rd most yards allowed per reception (15.1), and tied last in touchdowns allowed (2)

It is unfair to ask a rookie seventh round DB to come in and play at a high level, but ranking last in nearly every metric is unfortunate, even with these circsumstances. Overall, it seems the Chargers are happy without him and Bridges is happy to be playing elsewhere.

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