Most players selected in Round 3 or later aren’t expected to contribute as much and are primarily relegated to reserve and/or on special teams duties in their rookie season.

However, some later-round picks prove they belong, and for Pro Football Network, they believe Kyle Kennard falls under that category.

Kyle Kennard is bringing length, burst, and production to the Chargers‘ front seven. After a dominant final season at South Carolina, where he earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and captured the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Kennard enters the NFL as one of the most productive edge rushers in college football. His numbers reflect a player who consistently disrupted plays against high-level competition.

Los Angeles added Kennard in the fourth round to shore up an edge defender group with aging Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree, who are in the final year of their contract. Additionally, they needed more pass-rushing juice on the edge, which Kennard has shown to possess by dominating against good competition, which resulted in 11.5 sacks in his final collegiate season.

Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu will be the starters during the 2025 season, while Kennard will begin as a third-down or situational rusher. But when he is on the field, the former South Carolina could make a huge impact, given how polished he is as a pass rusher. By Year 2, Kennard could start opposite Tuipulotu, especially if he becomes more refined as a run defender.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: This Chargers rookie could exceed expectations in 2025 season