Chargers' draft pick is barely hanging on (and nobody is talking about it)

While a lot can happen between now and the start of the 2025 season, there is a laundry list of predictable roster cuts for the LA Chargers. After all, the Chargers have to trim the roster from over 90 players down to 53. One of the 37+ names who will receive the ax may very well be running back Kimani Vidal.

Selected by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Vidal is not considered a Chargers cut candidate by the masses. Draft priors can secure a player's spot on a roster and many assume Vidal's status as a draft pick in 2024 keep him on the active roster.

However, simply being drafted by the Chargers does not guarantee anything. Instead, fans should read the tea leaves on the moves the Chargers have made to this point, all of which point to Vidal being a tough roster cut before Week 1.

Why Kimani Vidal is a real cut candidate for the Chargers

Before diving in any further, it's important context to note that I am a massive Kimani Vidal fan. He was one of "my guys" before the 2024 NFL Draft and I am all in on the dual-threat upside of his game.

However, my personal opinion (and the fanbase's opinion) on a player means nothing when the front office has to make tough roster decisions.

First, let's look at the running back room ahead of Vidal. The Chargers signed former first-round pick Najee Harris and drafted Omarion Hampton in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Those two are going to get a lion share of the offensive snaps, leaving very little room for Vidal to operate.

The Chargers also slapped the rare UFA tender on J.K. Dobbins. If Dobbins signs elsewhere it will count toward the compensatory pick formula for 2026. However, if he doesn't strike a deal elsewhere, he is guaranteed to return to the Chargers in 2026 on a 10% pay raise.

The Chargers wouldn't have slapped that tender on Dobbins if the team wasn't okay with bringing him back. And the team wouldn't be okay with bringing him back if they wanted a bigger role out of Vidal in his sophomore season.

Then there is a true wild card in Raheim Sanders. The Chargers like Sanders so much that they allowed him to sit out of certain drills during rookie minicamp that other UDFAs had to partake in. With a strong preseason, Sanders could absolutely usurp Vidal.

It doesn't help that Vidal didn't prove to be valuable on special teams last season. The Chargers brought in former Michigan back Hassan Haskins to serve as the primary special teams back in place of Vidal. Special teams value may be Vidal's one saving grace, and unfortunately, he hasn't shown that skill.

Could Vidal secure a spot on the roster with a strong showing at training camp and in the preseason? Absolutely. But the odds of the Chargers cutting their fifth-round pick from a year ago are much higher than fans think.