EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers had their most physical practice of training camp Thursday. They were back at The Bolt, the team’s home facility, after two days in San Diego. They were back in pads after a lighter walkthrough practice Wednesday. On this eighth practice of camp, the violence picked up.
The Chargers had their first one-on-one drills between the offensive linemen and defensive linemen. The first-team offense faced the first-team defense in a “thud” tempo 11-on-11 period. Defensive players are allowed to hit with more force at this tempo, as opposed to tagging off — two-hand touching — ball carriers. The third-stringers even went fully live for one series late in practice, with defensive players tackling to the ground.
“You feel that physicality,” defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said after practice. “There’s an edge to our defense that we need to keep stoking.”
Both sides of the ball had moments in team drills.
Edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu was in padded 11-on-11 drills for the first time this camp. Tuipulotu remains in contract-extension negotiations with the Chargers. He set the tone early in team drills. Quarterback Justin Herbert handed off to running back Omarion Hampton on a run to the right. Tuipulotu beat tight end Charlie Kolar one-on-one on the edge and stood up Hampton in the hole.
“We’re fired up,” O’Leary said of Tuipulotu. “He looks good.”
Trey Lance then took over at quarterback behind the second-team offensive line. Lance handed off to Hampton up the middle. Edge rusher Bud Dupree and linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips combined on a stuff.
The offense then responded with some quality ground-game reps. On the first, receiver Derius Davis had room to run to the right side on a jet-sweep handoff. This was an explosive play. Davis was untouched into the third level of the Chargers defense. Two plays later, running back Keaton Mitchell found space up the middle with the offensive line clearing the way. Left guard Logan Taylor executed a pull block. Branson Taylor created push off the ball from right tackle.
Branson Taylor got the reps with the first team at left guard. He feels in the mix for that starting spot. He also worked in at right tackle with the third-team offense. It was perhaps his best practice of camp so far, between team drills and one-on-ones.
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In the next period of 11-on-11, the defense had more flashes up front. Defensive lineman Jamaree Caldwell had a dominant rep against guard Trevor Penning on a Hampton run to the right side. Dupree had a sack against rookie tackle Travis Burke. Edge rusher Kyle Kennard also beat Burke for pressure on third-string quarterback DJ Uiagalelei late in the period.
To open up the “thud” period, Herbert handed off to Hampton to the right side. Edge rusher Khalil Mack blew up a double-team blocking effort from receiver Tre’ Harris and fullback Alec Ingold. On the next play, rookie edge rusher Akheem Mesidor beat right tackle Joe Alt on a Mitchell run to the right.
Interior defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe took over the next series while facing Lance and the second-team offense. He beat Penning for a pressure on the first rep. On the fourth rep, he knocked rookie center Jacob Spomer back into the quarterback on a bull rush for another pressure. Kennard also had a sack in this period, beating tight end Oronde Gadsden one-on-one.
The next series was the live period for the third-stringers. The offense had some success on the ground. Running back Jaret Patterson showed good balance on a 9-yard run through a tight hole to the right side. Running back Amar Johnson converted a first down in short yardage on the next play. Uiagalelei capped off the live period with a play-action bootleg to the left. He threw late in the down to receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who made a toe-tap catch along the sideline.
Highlights from 1-on-1s
While the skill-position players held seven-on-seven drills on one field, the offensive linemen and defensive linemen faced off in pass-rushing one-on-ones on an adjacent field.
Left tackle Rashawn Slater did not participate. The other starters — Alt, center Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange — got one rep apiece. The younger players got the bulk of the action.
Mesidor and Alt matched up on the first rep. Mesidor found some space on a quick move to the inside.
Biadasz had a fantastic rep against rookie Nick Barrett, showing off his hand placement and anchor against the fifth-round pick. Caldwell won his rep late in the down against Strange.
Eboigbe was virtually unblockable in his two reps. He won easily against Branson Taylor with sudden hands. Later, Eboigbe made quick work of rookie guard Alex Harkey.
Outside of this rep against Eboigbe, Branson Taylor looked solid. The rep against Eboigbe came at left guard. His next rep came at left guard against interior defensive line TeRah Edwards. Branson Taylor showed off a firm anchor.
Branson Taylor looked comfortable at tackle. He lost some ground against a power rush from Garmon Randolph, a practice squad player in 2025 who looks considerably improved, but he had three quality reps later in the period. He used quick feet to cover an inside move from rookie Nadame Tucker. He anchored down against a bull rush from Kennard. And on the final rep of the period, he steered Tucker wide on an outside rush.
Rookie Jake Slaughter had two reps at center and one at left guard. During the first center rep, he moved his feet well to win against rookie defensive lineman Jahmeer Carter. When he shifted to left guard, Slaughter faced Carter again. He was aggressive on a quick set but lost leverage later in the down. Slaughter then moved back to center against Barrett. Barrett won this rep with a powerful bull rush.
Burke got plenty of work at tackle. He won a rep against Mesidor, steering the first-round pick wide. He lost a rep to Kennard on an inside move. Later, Burke had his best rep on another matchup with Kennard, standing up the edge rusher with smooth feet and firm hands. Kennard tried another inside move later in the period. Burke was ready for this one and moved his feet well.
Mesidor beat Burke, showing off his bend around the edge. Burke won his final rep against Randolph, again syncing up his hands and feet.
News and notes
• Defensive lineman Teair Tart and tackle Laekin Vakalahi did not practice.
• Rookie safety Genesis Smith had his first interception of camp, hauling in a Herbert pass that went off the hands of Kolar. Smith continues to work with the second-team defense. Tony Jefferson and R.J. Mickens are splitting reps as the third safety with the first-team defense when Derwin James Jr. moves to nickel.
• Herbert and receiver Ladd McConkey keep connecting in the deep part of the field. On the opening play of practice, Herbert hit McConkey for an explosive gain down the right sideline. This was a dime from Herbert that beat Jefferson, who was the rotating safety. McConkey caught three passes from Herbert in Thursday’s practice.
• The offense fumbled four times in team drills, including three botched snaps. Each quarterback had one mishandled snap. Mitchell also dropped a pitch that was recovered by Barrett.
• Slater was back in padded team drills. He left Tuesday’s padded practice and got checked out in the medical tent. He was back in team drills for Wednesday’s walk-through. His workload was limited Thursday. He got four team reps. Trey Pipkins III rotated in for Slater at left tackle with the first team.
