Los Angeles Chargers Cornerback Nikko Reed Turns Heads With Preseason Performance

Reed shined in the 34-7 preseason win, nearly scoring a pick six with his interception. Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh praised Reed’s progress, calling him one of the team’s rising players.

“We’ve got a lot of ascending players who have been ascending in practice, and I couldn’t wait to see them play in a real game,” Harbaugh told the media postgame. “Nikko Reed has been battling, working through things all camp, and he continues to work through them and play good.”

The cornerback played 13 coverage snaps, tallying a pass break up and three total tackles. He finished the game with a 95.3 coverage grade.

His top highlight came in the first quarter when the Chargers held a 7-0 advantage. Reed snagged a pass from Lions backup quarterback Kyle Allen and returned it 60 yards, just a few yards short of scoring.

“I felt my guy was about to run that way,” Reed said. “So, I just jumped the route, played ball, trust what I see and the rest was trying to score.”

Despite garnering attention from fans on social media and the Los Angeles staff, Reed still expressed that he felt he has more to give.

“I’m hard on myself, so I say I missed a couple of tackles out there,” Reed said. “I feel like I should’ve scored. I left a couple plays out there. I missed a sack, so it’s all learning. Everything has to happen so you can do better next time, learn from it.”

Reed transferred to play for the Ducks after spending his first two seasons with the Colorado Buffaloes. He was a Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2024 after starting 13 games and recording 39 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions.

No team selected Reed in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Chargers picked up the undrafted free agent. He’s been a standout in practice since arriving. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter called the former Duck’s consistency impressive and that he’s someone who takes advantage of the extra opportunity.

Reed has competition at the defensive back position to make the roster. His former Oregon teammate Trikweze Bridges, who was selected in the seventh round of this year’s draft, is among those looking to prove themselves in camp.

“Everybody’s all different. Everybody has their own play style,” Reed said. “It’s a lot of competition. A lot of things to learn from. We got vets in there. We got young guys that can play, so it’s a great room.”

Aug. 27 is the deadline for teams to reduce their rosters to 53 players. Reed backed up his practice performances with actual gameplay now, so if he sustains that, it’ll be difficult for the Chargers to deny him a spot on the roster.