The Los Angeles Chargers doubled down on offense with their first two picks, taking North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton in the first, then Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris in the second.
With the 86th pick in the third round, the Chargers took Oregon defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell
With the 125th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard.
Los Angeles Chargers Select Edge Kyle Kennard With Pick 125 In the 4th Round
HT 6′4″ | WT 254 | AGE 23
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranks Kyle Kennard as the 22nd best edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft class, writing, Kennard has work to do developing his counters and becoming more consistent on run downs to reach his NFL potential, but he brings energetic speed off the edge when he can pin his ears back. He projects as a passing-down specialist, and his role can evolve from there.
Jatius Kennard’s college career trajectory took a significant turn during his final season at South Carolina. After four solid seasons at Georgia Tech, he transferred to South Carolina, where he became a one-year starter and lined up as a seven-/nine-technique edge rusher in defensive coordinator Clayton White’s four-man front (both stand-up and hand on the ground).
Kennard’s performance with the Gamecocks was transformative, culminating in him becoming the first South Carolina player to win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player. He also led the SEC with 11.5 sacks, narrowly missing Jadeveon Clowney’s school single-season sack record of 13.
Kennard’s pass-rushing abilities improved significantly in his super senior season, utilizing a “jet mode” stance to enhance his takeoff and disrupt offenses from wide alignments. He effectively uses his length to create leverage against blockers. However, he demonstrates some inconsistency as a point-of-attack player, and larger tackles can occasionally overwhelm him.
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