Official 2026 Chargers Roster Discussion | Roster Build | 2nd Wave Of Free Agency

[Chargers8491]

I think for the most part you have it - the one player I am looking at is Colson. Can he step up and make the roster? If so, that might put a player like Wax or Perryman on the bubble

Dupree - I still want an upgrade on.

Tucker is the upgrade, IMHO. He graded out just as and, in some cases, higher than Mesidor in defensive grades. Yes, it was against lesser competition but still. The Chargers also paid him $250K as an UDFA to sign. That is a lot of money for a UDFA. They also paid that much for Barton as well. I see this 2 as core STs to start and provide depth at edge and LBer, IMHO.

[Bolt4Knob]

Tucker is the upgrade, IMHO. He graded out just as and, in some cases, higher than Mesidor in defensive grades. Yes, it was against lesser competition but still. The Chargers also paid him $250K as an UDFA to sign. That is a lot of money for a UDFA. They also paid that much for Barton as well. I see this 2 as core STs to start and provide depth at edge and LBer, IMHO.

Good call out about Tucker. If he is close to Dupree with the defense and can show he can play special teams - I think he would get the nod

My guess, each will at worst be on the practice squad. I guess another team could pick them up but would have to pay the $250k

[Boltjolt]

Always liked Njoku. He has all the tools. Hard to judge a guys prod'n when he's been in a bottom of the barrel franchise with a revolving cast of poor qbs, failed coaches and bad teams. Big target for Herbert.

Didnt stop Fannin as a rookie. Njoku also misses many games. But, if he rotates with Gadsden that can help him there. Gadsden is our future at TE. I dont think Njoku will automatically be the #1. I also think he is only getting a 1 year deal.
He will be 30 in July which isnt old, i just think Hortiz stays with his 1 year deals at this stage. Maybe 2 year 11-12 m worth UP TO 16 with an out in year two? Or just the 1 year.
His market on Sportrac is 9.9m which was before FA began. It wont be that high now.

That may or may not deter Njoku singing here. If not, Jonnu is used to 1 year deals. Seriously would be happy with either.

[dmac_bolt]

Good call out about Tucker. If he is close to Dupree with the defense and can show he can play special teams - I think he would get the nod

My guess, each will at worst be on the practice squad. I guess another team could pick them up but would have to pay the $250k

Tucker is not Mesidor, with all due respect to my more-knowledgeable TPB alum. Mesidor has the most complete edge rush toolkit in the draft, he is stout both against run and pass. He beat the best of the best and was at his best against the best teams in the CFB when the games were biggest. He has a ridiculous blend of power, speed and bend that projects very well. I don’t buy that Baine drew all attention and carried him. His tape is real.

Tucker had a good Sr Bowl week, but he’s not th 3-down player (yet, if ever) that Mesidor is. DL usually dominates OL in the Sr Bowl as OL are 5 guys thrown together at random with almost zero time to learn whatever NFL coaches who happened to be assigned to the game want them to try and do. A good DL game is not always a great indicator of future NFL success, so some cautionary pause should be considered. He doesn’t have the variety of rush moves he will need to succeed against much better NFL OTs than he faced in college. He is a project.

HOWEVER - where I agree - Bud was primarily the second edge-setting DE/OLB to spell Mack who had little to no pass rush contribution. Mesidor can match his edge setting WHILE bringing much more pass rush. If Chargers want to have just 2 edge on the field, and want to give Mack some breathers, Mesidor is the guy to call on first. Bud’s role is reduced to waiting on the bench in case two or more starters get hurt. That give the Chargers the luxury to maybe hold onto a Tucker type that is mainly useful to sub into pass rush downs and keep the starters fresh for the fourth quarter. I think Bud’s future is tied to Tucker and Kennard - if they show anything, he’s odd man out.

Bud wasn’t that good of an edge setter either, after all.

[Boltjolt]

Tucker is not Mesidor, with all due respect to my more-knowledgeable TPB alum. Mesidor has the most complete edge rush toolkit in the draft, he is stout both against run and pass. He beat the best of the best and was at his best against the best teams in the CFB when the games were biggest. He has a ridiculous blend of power, speed and bend that projects very well. I don’t buy that Baine drew all attention and carried him. His tape is real.

Tucker had a good Sr Bowl week, but he’s not th 3-down player (yet, if ever) that Mesidor is. DL usually dominates OL in the Sr Bowl as OL are 5 guys thrown together at random with almost zero time to learn whatever NFL coaches who happened to be assigned to the game want them to try and do. A good DL game is not always a great indicator of future NFL success, so some cautionary pause should be considered. He doesn’t have the variety of rush moves he will need to succeed against much better NFL OTs than he faced in college. He is a project.

HOWEVER - where I agree - Bud was primarily the second edge-setting DE/OLB to spell Mack who had little to no pass rush contribution. Mesidor can match his edge setting WHILE bringing much more pass rush. If Chargers want to have just 2 edge on the field, and want to give Mack some breathers, Mesidor is the guy to call on first. Bud’s role is reduced to waiting on the bench in case two or more starters get hurt. That give the Chargers the luxury to maybe hold onto a Tucker type that is mainly useful to sub into pass rush downs and keep the starters fresh for the fourth quarter. I think Bud’s future is tied to Tucker and Kennard - if they show anything, he’s odd man out.

Bud wasn’t that good of an edge setter either, after all.

Agree but then again, Kennard has to show he is better at setting an edge. He wasnt good at that last season and Tucker isnt good againt the run. Here is a summary of Tucker ...and i really hope Kennard has improved here.

AI search says:

Based on 2025 college film and 2026 NFL draft scouting reports, Nadame Tucker's ability to set an edge is considered a significant area for improvement compared to his elite pass-rushing skills. While he has a high-effort motor and flashes ability in pursuit, his physical limitations make him a liability as a consistent run defender. [1, 2]
Run Defense Analysis & Edge Setting Performance:

• Weakness at Point of Attack: At roughly 6'1"-6'2" and 246–250 lbs, Tucker is considered undersized as an NFL edge defender. He has below-average arm length, allowing longer offensive tackles to lock him out, control the rep, and move him out of his gap.
• Inconsistency in Setting the Edge: He struggles to firmly set the edge against heavy run sets, often getting washed out by tackles who can establish contact early.
• Block Deconstruction Issues: Tucker's block destruction timing is often delayed, meaning he spends too much energy trying to "survive" the block rather than shedding to make the tackle, resulting in a 73.2 PFF run-defense grade, which is lower than his elite pass-rush grade.
• Strengths in Pursuit: Despite the technical issues with the edge, Tucker is not a passive player. He shows a high motor and solid lateral quickness to make plays from the backside (21 tackles for loss in 2025).
• Best Usage: Scouting reports suggest he is best used as a situational pass-rusher in a Wide-9 alignment to avoid his run-defense weaknesses early in his career, rather than an every-down run defender. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

[Bolt4Knob]

Tucker is not Mesidor, with all due respect to my more-knowledgeable TPB alum. Mesidor has the most complete edge rush toolkit in the draft, he is stout both against run and pass. He beat the best of the best and was at his best against the best teams in the CFB when the games were biggest. He has a ridiculous blend of power, speed and bend that projects very well. I don’t buy that Baine drew all attention and carried him. His tape is real.

Tucker had a good Sr Bowl week, but he’s not th 3-down player (yet, if ever) that Mesidor is. DL usually dominates OL in the Sr Bowl as OL are 5 guys thrown together at random with almost zero time to learn whatever NFL coaches who happened to be assigned to the game want them to try and do. A good DL game is not always a great indicator of future NFL success, so some cautionary pause should be considered. He doesn’t have the variety of rush moves he will need to succeed against much better NFL OTs than he faced in college. He is a project.

HOWEVER - where I agree - Bud was primarily the second edge-setting DE/OLB to spell Mack who had little to no pass rush contribution. Mesidor can match his edge setting WHILE bringing much more pass rush. If Chargers want to have just 2 edge on the field, and want to give Mack some breathers, Mesidor is the guy to call on first. Bud’s role is reduced to waiting on the bench in case two or more starters get hurt. That give the Chargers the luxury to maybe hold onto a Tucker type that is mainly useful to sub into pass rush downs and keep the starters fresh for the fourth quarter. I think Bud’s future is tied to Tucker and Kennard - if they show anything, he’s odd man out.

Bud wasn’t that good of an edge setter either, after all.

You nailed it how Tucker can beat out Dupree and that was kind of my point. I don't have Tucker anywhere close to Mesidor. Edge1-3 are Tuli Mack and Mesidor

It is Edge 4 and 5. Now my guess Kennard will be in the mix -- I think heard that Kennard had an injury that slowed him down last year. Not sure

So that leaves Tucker and Bud. If Tucker shows out on special teams and can match Bud, or close to it run and pass rush, he has a chance.

[Chargers8491]

Tucker is not Mesidor, with all due respect to my more-knowledgeable TPB alum. Mesidor has the most complete edge rush toolkit in the draft, he is stout both against run and pass. He beat the best of the best and was at his best against the best teams in the CFB when the games were biggest. He has a ridiculous blend of power, speed and bend that projects very well. I don’t buy that Baine drew all attention and carried him. His tape is real.

Tucker had a good Sr Bowl week, but he’s not th 3-down player (yet, if ever) that Mesidor is. DL usually dominates OL in the Sr Bowl as OL are 5 guys thrown together at random with almost zero time to learn whatever NFL coaches who happened to be assigned to the game want them to try and do. A good DL game is not always a great indicator of future NFL success, so some cautionary pause should be considered. He doesn’t have the variety of rush moves he will need to succeed against much better NFL OTs than he faced in college. He is a project.

HOWEVER - where I agree - Bud was primarily the second edge-setting DE/OLB to spell Mack who had little to no pass rush contribution. Mesidor can match his edge setting WHILE bringing much more pass rush. If Chargers want to have just 2 edge on the field, and want to give Mack some breathers, Mesidor is the guy to call on first. Bud’s role is reduced to waiting on the bench in case two or more starters get hurt. That give the Chargers the luxury to maybe hold onto a Tucker type that is mainly useful to sub into pass rush downs and keep the starters fresh for the fourth quarter. I think Bud’s future is tied to Tucker and Kennard - if they show anything, he’s odd man out.

Bud wasn’t that good of an edge setter either, after all.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Tucker is better than Mesidor. All I was saying is that his defensive grades such as win rate is right there with or batter than Mesidor's. I also acknowledge that it was against lesser competition as well.

No one is saying that Tucker is going to beat out Mesidor. He certainly could and probably will beat out Dupree just on STs alone. Anyway, this is just my opinion. TC will decide it...lol

[dmac_bolt]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Tucker is better than Mesidor. All I was saying is that his defensive grades such as win rate is right there with or batter than Mesidor's. I also acknowledge that it was against lesser competition as well.

No one is saying that Tucker is going to beat out Mesidor. He certainly could and probably will beat out Dupree just on STs alone. Anyway, this is just my opinion. TC will decide it...lol

MAC vs SEC, can’t compare win rates.

The ST angle is a huge 2nd reason Tucker could beat out Bud. Cost and age is #3. I think Mesidor is the biggest - Bud was needed as a backup edge setter. I see Tucker’s possible role as a ST starter with few occasional pass rush reps in 2025.

[Bolt4Knob]

MAC vs SEC, can’t compare win rates.

The ST angle is a huge 2nd reason Tucker could beat out Bud. Cost and age is #3. I think Mesidor is the biggest - Bud was needed as a backup edge setter. I see Tucker’s possible role as a ST starter with few occasional pass rush reps in 2025.

That is how Tucker beats out Bud. First, he takes Tuli's special teams snaps and Buds. Really lock down those snaps. Second, show enough that he can be like Bud Dupree in situation defensive snaps. The bar is low - -come on Tucker!

[Boltjolt]

MAC vs SEC, can’t compare win rates.

The ST angle is a huge 2nd reason Tucker could beat out Bud. Cost and age is #3. I think Mesidor is the biggest - Bud was needed as a backup edge setter. I see Tucker’s possible role as a ST starter with few occasional pass rush reps in 2025.

Someone remind of more players here,.... but the only MAC guy, ...and it wasnt even the MAC back then, it was the WAC ....that was good in the NFL out of the gate was Marshall Faulk. Now the SDSU CB Johnson was a first rounder so he can be one.

Who else? Khalil Mack,.....Osgood was a good ST'er. BYU had some good ones but even Steve Young took a long time to be good. He was dreadful in Tampa Bay. Was LT from the WAC? I know it isnt many from WAC or MAC,.... Carr? Crosby?

[Fouts2herbert]

I’m the one that brought the comparison up but find it odd it’s silly to compare them when you had several posts comparing them. 😂

Now back to why I brought it up. Some suggested he would have a hard time making the team.

I simply brought Thomas up because he was drafted in the beginning of 2nd round to be a starter,

So as Quacksaw said….all our UDFA has to do is beat out Dupree and he makes the team. I think that’s a low bar and will go On record now saying he’s one of the final 53.

I disagreed with CBF on his point that Thomas and Tucker are worlds apart from a raw talent and athleticism perspective...so I posted some data to refute his claim that the two players are vastly different, I see them close in physical ability...

to me the silly part of the comparison stems from the differences in age and draft position, Thomas a 21 year old guy and a high second round pick is virtually guaranteed a roster spot for the the next 2 years minimum if not the next 4 years...and then there is Tucker, he's going to be 26 years old this coming season, undrafted, no guaranteed roster spot etc...so from that standpoint it makes no sense to compare them...Tucker should and will be compared to other Edge UDFAs and Thomas should and will be compared to other Edge players drafted in the second round, ESPECIALLY the ones that KC passed over to draft Thomas...

Will Tucker have the same opportunity handed to him than Thomas? I don't think he will, on the surface someone might say that they are both on a roster so yes, they are both getting an opportunity, but that is misleading, Thomas has the luxury fail early on and still find redemption later because to an extent he will be guaranteed a job for a few years...meanwhile for Tucker the odds are squarely against him, he has no room for error BUT he does have a couple of things going for him, for starters he's signed up with a team that just hired his college DC AND if he somehow manages to depose both a 4rth rounder from 2025 and the incumbent #4 now that Mesidor is set to be the clear #3...IF Tuckersucceeds in doing those two things he could potentially be in an advantageous position compared to Thomas...Tucker might have a head start on early success in his career due to being surrounded by Tuli, Mack, and Mesidor AND by having O'Leary in his corner putting him in positions to have success....Thomas doesn't have the same caliber of Edge teammates to learn from and to benefit from their presence on the field....the BIG key is whether or not Tucker can get over the two big hurdles, a guy that was drafted just last year in the 4rth round and a guy that is still a proficient run defender and has years of experience in the NFL...

I will say this in regards to how I see both players, I will not be shocked or dismayed if in two or three years the story becomes that in the 2026 draft the Chargers got more form an UDFA player than the Chiefs got from their #40 overall selection...

[wu-dai clan]

NOBODY drafted Dame, in spite of his production.

Khalil Mack will not sign off on the cutting of his longtime caddie, Bud Dupree.