The Chargers have completed their first preseason game, defeating the Texans 27-7 on Thursday evening. With a number of players sitting out for rest and a handful flashing in Houston this week, most of LAs 53-man roster is actually already set.Lets go through who on the Chargers roster is a lock to be on the team in Week 1 when the Bolts face the Cardinals.Quarterback: Justin Herbert (1)Before Thursday, backup quarterback Trey Lance would have joined Herbert on this list, and maybe he should still be on here. But Lance was up and down in his half plus one drive against Houston, opening up just enough room in the QB2 competition for DJ Uiagalelei to overtake him. Its also possible the Chargers will look externally for their backup quarterback, as they did when they traded for Taylor Heinicke at the cut deadline in 2024. While Lance probably still has the inside track, its not as easy to guarantee his place on the team as it was previously.Running Back: Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, Alec Ingold (FB), Kimani Vidal (4)Hampton, Mitchell, and Ingold all sat out Thursdays game, which was likely an expected outcome for Hampton - the Chargers presumed RB1 - and Ingold - who offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel brought from Miami. Mitchells rest day is notable, however, as it likely means hes in the lead for RB2 duties as of right now. Vidal started on Thursday but didnt play a ton, and theres a clear tier break between him and Jaret Patterson or Amar Johnson, so hes still a lock for the roster after leading the Chargers in rushing last season.Wide Receiver: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre Harris, Brenen Thompson (4)Were not including KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Derius Davis here, who are the next two wide receivers on the depth chart and the only other ones with a realistic chance of making the roster. Lambert-Smith had a quiet start to camp but led all receivers with 4 receptions and was second among all receivers with 58 yards on Thursday, bolstering his case to make the 53. Davis did not contribute on offense, but he appears to still have the inside track to win the punt returner job, which could push Lambert-Smith off the roster if the Chargers limit themselves to 5 on the final roster. The top four here are clear, however, and all should be expected to carry a significant load on offense.Tight End: Charlie Kolar, David Njoku, Oronde Gadsden II (3)This room is essentially solidified, even if Gadsden played the first quarter on Thursday. LA gave Kolar a hefty contract in free agency and seem to think theyll get commensurate value from the veteran Njoku in addition to Gadsden, who burst on the scene as a fifth-round rookie last season. After Gadsden on the depth chart are Scott Matlock, who the team is now experimenting with at offensive tackle, and H-back Johnny Pascuzzi, a rookie undrafted free agent.Offensive Line: Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt, Tyler Biadasz, Cole Strange, Kayode Awosika, Jake Slaughter, Trey Pipkins III, Travis Burke (8)No explanation necessary for Slater, Alt, or Biadasz, who will anchor the line this season. Strange got a modest deal in free agency but has taken essentially all of the first-team reps at right guard, so no surprise there either. Left guard is the unsettled spot, with Awosika, Slaughter, Pipkins, Trevor Penning, and Branson Taylor still in the mix to start. One of those players wont make the roster at all with how the numbers work out, but that obviously wont be Slaughter - the teams second-round pick this April - and likely wont be Pipkins, who will be the swing tackle if not the starting left guard. Burke is also a lock as a rookie fourth-rounder who acquitted himself well at tackle on Thursday. Awosika played two drives on Thursday, signaling that he leads in the left guard competition and will make the roster even if someone else winds up overtaking them. That leaves Penning and Taylor to compete with rookie sixth-rounders Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey for one or two spots to fill out the group.Defensive Line: Teair Tart, Dalvin Tomlinson, Jamaree Caldwell, Justin Eboigbe, Nick Barrett (5)Another group thats basically set here, given that Tart, Caldwell, and Eboigbe all contributed for the Chargers last season and Tomlinson signed on as a veteran free agent to play nose tackle. Barretts selection in the fifth round finished the room up in April, but TeRah Edwards, Jahmeer Carter, and Jacobian Guillory all flashed on Thursday and will be in a heated competition for spots on the practice squad.EDGE: Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Akheem Mesidor, Bud Dupree (4)Mack, Tuipulotu, and Mesidor have been locks all offseason, but the fact that Dupree got a rest day on Thursday solidified that hes not going anywhere either despite his struggles as a rusher last season. The Chargers seem to like what they get from the veteran as a run defender last season and may just lessen his pass-rushing role with Mesidor now in the fold. The real question here is if LA keeps a fifth edge rusher and if so, who that player is. Neither 2025 fourth-rounder Kyle Kennard nor undrafted rookie Nadame Tucker were particularly impactful on Thursday after entering as the two favorites to earn that additional spot.Linebacker: Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, Troy Dye, DelShawn Phillips (4)Henley and Perryman got the night off on Thursday, as expected with that duo expected to be stalwarts on the Chargers defense come Week 1. Dye and Phillips were the starting duo on Thursday and both have core four special teams value, so theyre both going to be on the roster as well. (Dye has also been a serviceable third linebacker the past couple of seasons.) The assumption is that LA will keep 5, however, which leaves a battle between 2025 undrafted free agent Marlowe Wax and 2024 third-rounder Junior Colson, who were the duo on Thursday after Dye and Phillips exited. Wax took the green dot as the defensive signal-caller, which could signal that hes a little bit further ahead.Cornerback: Derwin James Jr., Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, Donte Jackson, Deane Leonard (5)Were counting James as a corner since he will play so much in the nickel, but move him to safety if youd rather count him in his traditional position. Still is LAs bona fide CB1 on the outside, with Hart and Jackson competing for the CB2 job on the other side. Leonard started on Thursday and is a core special teamer, so he is likely safe when considering the drop-off between him and the next group of players. LA may keep six corners (or ten defensive backs, if youd rather), in which case the Chargers have a dead heat between Nikko Reed, Eric Rogers, and undrafted rookie Avery Smith on their hands.Safety: Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson, Genesis Smith, RJ Mickens (4)Molden is an obvious starter, so his absence on Thursday should not have come as a surprise. But Jefferson also got the night off, a sign that hes finally safe after being cut at the deadline the last two years and working his way back onto the active roster both times. Smith and Mickens are both young players competing for playing time and special teams snaps, with Mickens perhaps slightly less secure by virtue of draft capital (Smith was a fourth-rounder, Mickens a sixth-rounder). If LA chooses to keep a fifth safety as their tenth defensive back, itll be Kendall Williamson, who made the roster last season because of his value on special teams.Specialists: Cameron Dicker, JK Scott, Josh Harris (3)No surprises here. Dicker and Scott have no competition on the roster, while Harris got to sit out on Thursday because the Chargers signed long snapper Peter Bowden to handle the preseason and hang around as a standby option if Harris gets injured at some point.This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers 53-man roster: 45 locks after first preseason game