Coming fresh off their first pre-season game and dominant win over the Lions, the Chargers discovered a few things about their young players. Fifth-round pick rookie wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith “KLS” could be a hidden gem. Throughout training camp, the rookie has consistently made explosive plays, and last Thursday, he continued that trend, recording two catches for 43 yards and two touchdowns.
“It’s not like he’s a one-trick pony, down the field guy,” Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said about the rookie’s performance. “He’s impressed me; he’s gotten a lot better with his route running.”
Roman says his ability to do it in all areas of the field — underneath or going deep — is what has stood out about the receiver so far as he continues to grow each day.
“There’s still a long way to go, but he’s on that trajectory and it’s all about the mindset,” Roman added. “I think he’s developing a great mindset.”
On Saturday, the rookie returned to practice and threw two touchdown passes during team drills. First was a 37-yard drop-in-the-bucket pass from Justin Herbert, where Lambert-Smith created enough separation to make the touchdown look easy. The second came towards the end of practice, Lambert-Smith streaked down the deep middle of the field and hit in stride for a 53-yard touchdown connection.
“Specifically with KLS, it’s one day at a time, it’s training camp,” Roman said. “He’s engaged, we just have to try to get one percent better every day. But he’s doing a nice job.”
Second-round wide receiver draft pick Tre Harris also recorded a catch during the game, but wasn’t too surprised by his fellow rookie and roommate’s performance. “The room is extremely competitive between us, but we are also brothers, so it was fun seeing him get his opportunities,” Harris said about Lambert-Smith. “Ladd and Quetuin lead the room, so we follow their lead, but we’re all vying to play and make an impact.”
The Chargers play the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 10 at SoFi Stadium, and the young receiving corps get another opportunity to showcase their talents.
