Chargers roster projection: Who is safe after the 49ers game?

The Chargers have wrapped up their second preseason matchup, falling to the 49ers 41-17 on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium. With just one exhibition game remaining before cutdown day, the competition for the final spots on the 53-man roster is reaching its boiling point as fringe players fight to solidify their standing.

Let’s dive into our updated 53-man roster projection following Thursday's contest against San Francisco.

Quarterback: Justin Herbert, Trey Lance (2)

It looks more and more like Los Angeles needs to look around the league for a backup quarterback. Neither Lance nor DJ Uiagalelei was impressive on Thursday, so Lance retains the job in this projection since Uiagalelei needs to be undeniably better than him to win the job. Pittsburgh has four quarterbacks on their roster and may be willing to part with veteran Mason Rudolph, or LA could go a younger route and look at Anthony Richardson Sr. in Indianapolis, JJ McCarthy in Minnesota, Will Levis in Tennessee, or Aidan O'Connell in Las Vegas.

Running back: Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, Alec Ingold (FB), Kimani Vidal (4)

Running backs were limited to 10 yards on Thursday against San Francisco, so there's nothing here to suggest that last week's star Amar Johnson or Jaret Patterson are serious factors to push Vidal off the roster. Chargers fans got to see Hampton and Mitchell in Mike McDaniel's offense for the first time with mixed results: Hampton carried the ball once for a loss of 1, while Mitchell lost a yard on 3 carries but flashed some ability as a receiving back.

Wide receiver: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre’ Harris, Brenen Thompson, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Derius Davis (6)

Until somebody makes a real move towards Davis' returner role, this room feels solidified. Johnston and Harris did not suit up on Thursday due to injuries, and Thompson left the game early with an injury of his own, so the Chargers may add another body or two to get through next week's game, or the likes of Sincere Brown and Liam Clifford will get more action in the second half against the Rams. Lambert-Smith returned two punts on Thursday and Devonte Ross took another, but Ross fumbled a kickoff return and was swiftly replaced by JaQuae Jackson.

Tight end: Charlie Kolar, David Njoku, Oronde Gadsden II (3)

Scott Matlock got two receptions on Thursday, but there's enough going on with the rest of the roster that the Chargers can likely only afford to keep three tight ends plus Ingold at fullback. Nobody else is close, although Gadsden may start to push Njoku on the depth chart after the veteran missed two blocks early in the game on Thursday.

Offensive line: Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt, Tyler Biadasz, Cole Strange, Kayode Awosika, Jake Slaughter, Trey Pipkins III, Travis Burke, Branson Taylor, Trevor Penning (10)

The Chargers seem optimistic that Biadasz will be able to return later this season, which would require carrying him on the initial 53-man roster and then placing him on injured reserve to open a roster spot. Considering that and Branson Taylor's shoulder injury on Thursday, we'll add Penning back on after leaving him off as a trade candidate last week. Penning could still be traded, in which case the final spot would likely go to Logan Taylor, or the Chargers could look to add an interior lineman to shore up depth behind now-starting center Jake Slaughter.

Defensive line: Teair Tart, Dalvin Tomlinson, Jamaree Caldwell, Justin Eboigbe, Nick Barrett (5)

TeRah Edwards has had a second consecutive productive preseason, but it's probably not enough to displace Barrett, who the Chargers drafted in the fifth round this April. Both Barrett and Edwards played deep into Thursday's game, but that likely has more to do with the fact that Tart, Tomlinson, Caldwell, and Eboigbe either hardly played or did not play at all, and less to do with LA's unhappiness with either player. Edwards has an inside track to a practice squad spot, however.

Edge rusher: Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Akheem Mesidor, Bud Dupree (4)

To make room for a tenth offensive lineman, we have to cut a spot somewhere else, and edge rusher seems the most logical. Neither Kyle Kennard, who did not play Thursday due to injury, or Nadame Tucker have made themselves undeniable so far this offseason, which could spell trouble for both of them considering the crunch happening in other rooms. Late-summer signing Andre Carter II may actually be the most impressive player left off this group and may need to start being considered for that EDGE5 competition.

Linebacker: Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, Troy Dye, Del’Shawn Phillips, Marlowe Wax (5)

Junior Colson had a pick-6 on Thursday night, a nice moment for the 2024 third-rounder after dealing with a litany of injuries through his first two seasons. But that play came after this group of five had left the game, with Emany Johnson playing as the linebacker opposite Colson. That seems to indicate how Colson's fight with Wax for the final spot in this room is going, but maybe Thursday's play gets him back on even ground going into the final preseason game.

Cornerback: Derwin James Jr., Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, Donte Jackson, Deane Leonard, Avery Smith (6)

Jackson did not play Thursday, so the starting duo looks like it will be Still and Jackson with Hart the first boundary corner off the bench and James in the nickel. Leonard is the team's best gunner and second-best special teamer behind Del'Shawn Phillips, so he's in. We're keeping Smith over Nikko Reed, Eric Rogers, and fellow undrafted rookie Rodney Shelley after he had another set of flashy run stops and pass breakups on Thursday. Reed and Rogers have been quiet after splashy preseasons last year and are on the outside looking in right now.

Safety: Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson, Genesis Smith, RJ Mickens, Kendall Williamson (5)

Molden and Jefferson put the pads on but left pretty quickly on Thursday, but Mickens was the first man off the bench ahead of Smith, who the Chargers drafted in the fourth round this April. Smith was a touch tentative at times in run support but got a hand on another ball, so it certainly seems like he'll have a role. Williamson holds on to a roster spot due to his special teams value as well.

Specialists: Cameron Dicker, JK Scott, Josh Harris (3)

Dicker missed an extra point for the second straight week, and Scott made an egregious business decision on a Jacob Cowing punt return touchdown on Thursday, but that doesn't change the fact that this will be the trio suiting up for the Chargers in Week 1.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers roster projection: Who is safe after the 49ers game?