Day 1 of Chargers mandatory minicamp is in the books.
The Bolts practiced for a little over an hour Tuesday at The Bolt as the intensity picked up a bit from recent Organized Team Activity (OTA) sessions.
The Chargers will also hold minicamp practices on Wednesday and Thursday before getting a summer break before camp starts.
Here are three observations from the first day of Chargers minicamp:
1. Thompson, Smith highlight Day 1
A pair of fourth-round rookies stole the show Tuesday at minicamp.
The Chargers didn’t do much full-team work so the highlights came during a 7-on-7 portion of practice.
Brenen Thompson made the play of the day on offense as he made a contested catch in front of Elijah Molden down the field for an explosive gain.
Thompson later hauled in a roughly 50-yard pass as he used his well-known speed (4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash) to get behind the defense.
Defensively, safety Genesis Smith stepped up in the 7-on-7 drill when he intercepted Trey Lance on a throw to the left.
The former Arizona standout, who had five interceptions in college, showed great instincts to step in front of the pass and secure the takeaway.
Another notable play Tuesday came from running back Keaton Mitchell, who hauled in a beautiful pass from Lance down the right sideline for a long gain.
Tarheeb Still also notched a pass breakup when he denied Thompson a chance to make a catch over the middle.
Finally, it was a solid day for second-year quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who showed good zip on his passes, including a dart on the left sideline to KeAndre Lambert-Smith. The wide receiver made a toe-tap catch to secure a 15-plus yard gain.
