Chargers drop more bad news for Najee Harris with major UDFA hint

The Los Angeles Chargers certainly had some very compelling undrafted free agents in rookie minicamp over the weekend, but perhaps none are more interesting than running back Raheim Sanders. It's also bad news for Najee Harris, and we'll explain why in a second.

Sanders somehow was not selected in the NFL draft, and the only way to make sense of it is by understanding that this was a very deep running back class.

The 22-year-old rushed for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry at South Carolina last season, and back in 2022, he racked up 1,443 yards and 10 scores on 6.5 yards per attempt at Arkansas.

Sanders does have a bit of an injury history and was limited to six games in 2023 as a result, which probably was the main cause in his slide out of the draft, but nevertheless, he is an intriguing prospect who ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine.

The Chargers did not have Sanders compete in special teams or strength and conditioning drills at practice, a strong indication that they feel he has a great shot of making the roster (or maybe even that Los Angeles already envisions him making the 53-man cut).

Considering the Bolts also selecting fellow halfback Omarion Hampton in the first round of the draft, you have to think that Harris—one of the Chargers' top free-agent signings—is already feeling the heat at this point.

Harris spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and racked up over 1,000 yards each season, but he did that on just 3.9 yards per tote.

Yes, it's valuable to have a bell cow, but when you aren't ripping off significant chunks of yardage, it definitely makes you less of an exclusive commodity.

Los Angeles surely understands this, which is why it is probably already under the impression that both Hampton and Sanders will be getting in some work next season, which will obviously significantly eat into Harris' touches.

Given that Harris signed only a one-year deal in LA, this is not only an ominous sign for his 2025 production, but it could foreshadow another offseason in which he generates little interest on the open market. At least in terms of long-term contracts.

The Chargers definitely emphasized their rushing attack last season, but they have completely revamped their backfield with both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards gone. They'll likely do some experimenting next fall, and that could spell trouble for Harris.