The Los Angeles Chargers open the NFL preseason Thursday night in Canton, Ohio, where they face the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game.

Through 11 training camp practices, the Chargers roster has started to fit. Stars have shined. Rookies have flashed. Returning young players have shown improvement. Veteran additions have quickly established their presence.

Real football, though, will provide a more tangible and projectable evaluation.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said this week he is looking for “those that can just go out there and just have at it, but also put in that high level of what I’m looking for.” Effort and execution.

Here are seven facets of the roster to watch Thursday night.

Offensive skill-position rookies

The Chargers got deeper, better and more explosive on offense in the draft. They selected running back Omarion Hampton in the first round. They took two receivers, Tre’ Harris in the second round and KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fifth round. And they added a field-stretching tight end in fifth-round pick Oronde Gadsden. All four have made plays at various points in camp. All four are expected to play Thursday in their preseason NFL debuts.

Running back Najee Harris remains on the non-football injury list after sustaining an eye injury in a July 4 fireworks accident. With Harris out of practice, Hampton has been the Chargers’ clear RB1. He is on track to carve out a role as the focal point of the running game. Hampton’s vision and athleticism have been on display. On Thursday night, his power — one of his other elite traits — should come to life. Expect at least one electric play from the rookie running back. He is the real deal.

Harris and Lambert-Smith both have a chance to start this season.

Receiver Ladd McConkey is WR1. Who plays alongside him? That remains to be seen. Third-year receiver Quentin Johnston is not expected to play Thursday night, according to Harbaugh. That will give Harris and Lambert-Smith plenty of opportunities to make plays in the passing game. Lambert-Smith has exhibited some impressive ball-tracking in the deep part of the field. Harris is a refined route-runner who can provide a matchup advantage in contested-catch situations.

Gadsden has the size, speed, route-running and hands to be an impact player in the passing game at this level. He must prove he can be a functional blocker to build a sizable role in coordinator Greg Roman’s offense. Gadsden has shown some capabilities in this phase through 11 practices. Live action will be a different test.

Can Trey Lance make a case for QB2?

Quarterback Trey Lance, who the Chargers signed to a one-year deal this offseason, will start Thursday night, according to Harbaugh. Lance has received consistent reps with the second-team offense in training camp, rotating into team drills ahead of Taylor Heinicke, the Chargers’ backup in 2024. This feels like a bona fide competition for the backup spot behind Justin Herbert.

Lance has made plays with his arm both inside and outside the pocket in training camp. The Chargers have also been calling quite a few designed runs for Lance on zone reads on other play-action keepers. Lance, the former No. 3 pick in 2021, has more upside than Heinicke, who owns more experience. Heinicke is not expected to play Thursday night, according to Harbaugh.

Designed runs from Lance have been difficult to evaluate in practices, where contact with the quarterback is off-limits. Roman should feature some of these plays Thursday, and that will offer an opportunity to discern what Lance can be as a runner within the scheme.

If Lance plays well, this competition will heat up even more.

Zion Johnson live reps at C

Fourth-year offensive lineman Zion Johnson has rotated between left guard and center through the first 11 practices of camp. He has never played center before in the NFL. Johnson will start at center against the Lions, according to Harbaugh. Johnson has played center in two padded practices, and the results were mixed.

This game could be an inflection point in the Johnson-at-center experiment. If Johnson shows signs of improvement, then the Chargers could continue to rotate Bradley Bozeman and Johnson between center and left guard. Bozeman was the Chargers’ starting center last season. If Johnson struggles, that could be the end of his shot to start at the position. At some point, the Chargers have to settle on a starting five up front. The sooner, the better.

Harbaugh reiterated this week that the Chargers “foresee” Johnson and Bozeman starting on the offensive line. Which player starts at left guard and which player starts at center is what must still be determined. This is a big game for Johnson. The Chargers did not pick up his fifth-year option in May, and he is now on the final year of his rookie deal.

Kyle Kennard and fourth edge rusher competition

The Chargers drafted Kennard in the fourth round, and based on the roster makeup, he had a clear path to earning the fourth edge rusher spot behind Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree. Kennard has looked physical as a run defender, but he has not yet flashed as a pass rusher. Most importantly, Kennard must play special teams if he is going to find a role with the Chargers in 2025. Through 11 practices, he has not worked with any of the first-team, core-four special teams units — kickoff, kick return, punt and punt return. Instead, edge rusher Caleb Murphy has been a mainstay on those units. Murphy spent last season with the Chargers practice squad.

The Chargers could keep Murphy and Kennard on the 53-man, going with five edge rushers. The math starts to get tight in that scenario, however. The Chargers would have to find that roster spot elsewhere.

Two questions on Kennard before Thursday night: can he make an impact as a pass rusher? And can he make a play on special teams to start pushing for first-team reps?

Bottom of IDL depth chart

The interior of the Chargers’ defensive line has looked very solid through 11 practices. Six players have flashed at different points: Teair Tart, Otito Ogbonnia, Da’Shawn Hand, Naquan Jones, Justin Eboigbe and Jamaree Caldwell. Harbaugh said Tart is not expected play Thursday night. Harbaugh did not specifically mention Hand, but he said “veteran traditional starters” will not dress. Hand is likely included in that group.

Ogbonnia is potentially included in that group. Eboigbe missed the last two practices heading into Thursday night. If Eboigbe plays, he has a chance to continue building on notable improvement in his second NFL training camp. Caldwell, a third-round pick in April, has been disruptive, working mostly with the second and third teams. With the way Eboigbe and Caldwell have played, this looks like a room that could run six players deep. Thursday night will indicate if that is truly the case, as long as Eboigbe plays.

Fourth safety battle

The strength of this year’s Chargers defense might rest in their safety room. Coordinator Jesse Minter has featured three-safety looks often, with Derwin James Jr. at nickel. In the first 10 practices, the two other safeties in those packages were Alohi Gilman and Tony Jefferson. Elijah Molden returned to team drills on Day 11, though, and he replaced Jefferson in that starting group.

James, Gilman and Molden will not play Thursday, according to Harbaugh. There is a battle shaping up for the fourth safety spot between Jefferson, rookie RJ Mickens and Kendall Williamson. Jefferson has the early lead, but Mickens has flashed with plays on the ball, and Williamson has been a regular on the core-four special teams units. Definitely three players to watch Thursday night, assuming Jefferson plays.

Young corners in 53-man mix

Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart and Donte Jackson are roster locks. Benjamin St-Juste, who the Chargers signed to a one-year deal in free agency, should also end up on the 53-man. Harbaugh included St-Juste in his “veteran traditional starters” who are not expected to play Thursday night. Still and Jackson were also mentioned on that list. Hart, who missed Tuesday’s practice, was not.

Beyond those four, who are players who’ll make the 53-man in what will likely be a six-man room?

Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard, Trikweze Bridges and Nikko Reed are in contention. Based on practice rotations, Taylor is CB5 right now. He is also the Chargers’ best gunner on punt team. Reed has made more plays in training camp than any corner on the roster. Bridges has some volatility to his game, but the high points have been quite high. Keep an eye on these four corners Thursday night.

(Top photo of Zion Johnson and Branson Taylor: Ric Tapia / Getty Images)