The Los Angeles Chargers have completed Week 1 of the preseason, facing off against the Houston Texans on the road.

The game was filled with some exciting moments for young players, and it leaves some questions about the team heading into preseason Week 2 and beyond. Most notably, the Chargers did not play any of their starters, giving young players opportunities to get live reps against Houston’s second string.

What quickly became apparent was that several of the rookie defenders were up to the task.

Rookie defenders Genesis Smith, Avery Smith, and Jahmeer Carter stand out

Rookie safety Genesis Smith was heavily involved in the first drive, though his first play was a negative one. He was called for defensive pass interference. On a play later that drive, he had good coverage against Jared Wayne, forcing an incomplete pass. Later in the drive, he combined for a tackle on RB Noah Whittington.

Perhaps the most impressive of Smith’s plays was a one-handed would-be interception. Unfortunately, the rookie could not keep his feet in bounds. The commentators noted that Smith is a likely future contributor in the secondary. They questioned, however, whether or not those contributions would come soon.

Speaking of defensive contributions, undrafted free agent cornerback Avery Smith of the Toledo Rockets was one of two defenders alongside Genesis Smith to record a pass defended. He showed tight coverage ability on the rep in which he was matched up against wide receiver Lewis Bond. It’s a good start for the two young defenders.

Next up is undrafted free agent nose tackle Jameer Carter. Carter recorded the team’s lone tackle for loss and sack in the opening half. The undrafted free agent out of Virginia made his impact felt. It’s a promising start for him given that the Chargers could use more depth on the defensive interior behind Dalvin Tomlinson and Teair Tartt.

Offensive rookie flashes potential for Los Angeles

The defensive rookies weren’t the only ones to stand out for the Chargers. Rookie wide receiver Brenen Thompson caught one pass for 14 yards, showing off quickness and good hands. He also appeared on the punt return team, recording a 12-yard return on his first punt return of the day. The diminutive Mississippi State wideout is certainly trying to carve out a role for himself. He’s got more work to do, but preseason Week 1 was not a bad first impression.

Thompson’s first reception came off a play-action pass. On his punt return, his 4.26 speed showed, and he nearly broke the return off for a long play. He added a second reception for 16 yards right before halftime, finishing with two catches for 30 yards.

Former 1st-round pick Trey Lance remains a question mark

Chargers backup QB Trey Lance had an up-and-down first half. He went 9 of 17 for a 52.9% completion percentage and 124 yards. He added one carry for eight yards. Lance was sacked once and threw an interception returned 42 yards. He never truly looked comfortable out there.

The former North Dakota State quarterback, selected No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, is 26 years old. It’s getting to the point where it’s put-up-or-shut-up time, and this preseason game, at least the first half of it, very much looked like shut-up time. Lance came back out for a series to start the second half, moving up the field with relative ease. He had a seven-yard throw, a 14-yard throw, a 19-yard throw, and a 15-yard scramble before an illegal formation penalty, followed by a sack. He did enough to get the team back into field-goal range, but it still didn’t feel like enough.

Second-year wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith remains Los Angeles Chargers’ preseason darling

Of the standouts for the Chargers in the Week 1 preseason contest against Houston, perhaps none were more intriguing than second-year wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith. The former fifth-round draft pick out of Penn State went 4-of-6 receiving for 58 yards in the first half. Lambert-Smith was the standout of the preseason in 2025 as a rookie, and he followed it up with a strong start this year.

He showed off great body control, good separation, and speed. He genuinely looked to make some strides from his rookie season. The wide receiver room in Los Angeles does have some talent between Tre’ Harris, Ladd McConkey, and Quentin Johnston, but there’s certainly room for a player like Lambert-Smith to emerge. That’s especially true if Thompson is going to be used more on special teams or as a gadget player for the Chargers this season.