While the entire Los Angeles Chargers team is lacking any sort of excitement or hope for the team's chances of doing damage later in the season, it is still reasonable to look at some guys on the roster who may be impactful in the future or guys who will not stick around as they are not performing up to expectations.
Riser #1 - Kimani Vidal
Kimani Vidal was arguably the lone bright spot of the Chargers offense in Week 5. The team was down their top five wide receivers and was down to nearly an entire backup offensive line. Vidal, as the team's third RB, had an electric run that gave the Chargers one of their only highlights of the entire season.
Vidal had eight carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, coupled with a few nice blocks on Herbert scrambles, continuing to grow his trust in this offense.
Faller #1 - Oronde Gadsden II
Oronde Gadsden II is a talented tight end who has shown plenty of promise in his rookie season, but in Year 2, he has looked like a completely different player. He is not featured in the offense and is not someone who is seemingly making the same plays as before.
He is falling on this team, as he had one target for this entire game, even with the Chargers missing the majority of their receiver room.
Riser #2 - Charlie Kolar
Charlie Kolar returned in Week 5 after missing a few games with a forearm injury, making his impact known early. He made an impressive catch-and-run...that ended in a fumble. Which is obviously not a great look, but outside of this error, he helped the Chargers' running attack, making key blocks on the first and second levels of the defense. Kolar was the team's leading receiver with three catches for 37 yards.
Faller #2 - Keaton Mitchell
Keaton Mitchell is still featured heavily in this Bolts' offense, garnering six carries for 11 yards and three receptions for 18 yards. While Mitchell has shown promise as a receiver, he has yet to have an elite chunk-run play, showing why the Chargers went out specifically to add him to their roster. His 1.8 yards per carry is simply not enough.
Riser #3 - Akheem Mesidor
The final name on this list is Akheem Mesidor, the Chargers first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mesidor has played well in his role as the team's EDGE3. He has shown immense effort and skill, collecting another sack and forced fumble in Week 5. He also led the team in tackles with eight. Look for Mesidor to continue rising, giving the team at least one player to build around for the 2027 NFL season.
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