Undrafted rookie offensive lineman Jacob Spomer for the Chargers didn’t just play in Week 1 of the preseason, he absolutely went off, immediately earning major recognition from Pro Football Focus. This dude came out of nowhere, and the numbers are screaming.
The PFF Explosion You Didn’t See Coming
This wasn’t some quiet debut. Spomer was among the Chargers’ brightest spots, flat out. PFF, which we all know doesn’t hand out compliments lightly, tabbed him among the highest-graded rookies across the entire league. He snagged a coveted spot on PFF’s Rookie team of the week, which is wild for an undrafted guy. He was elite in his position. Spomer clocked in as the second-highest-graded player among rookie interior linemen with an impressive 82.0 overall grade. Think about that: second best among all rookie interior linemen, and this guy wasn’t even drafted. He played the entire game, too, showing serious endurance and consistency. What really jumps out is his pass protection: zero pressures allowed. Zero. And then you look at his run-blocking, where he earned an elite 90.0 PFF grade across 16 outside-zone rushing attempts. That kind of performance is exactly what gets a coach like Jim Harbaugh to sit up and take notice.
The Uphill Battle For an Undrafted Star
So who is this guy, Jacob Spomer? He’s 25 years old and played his college ball at Fresno State, where he was a First-Team All-Mountain West selection. PFF actually rated him as the highest-rated center overall in that conference, so the talent has always been there, just overlooked. But here’s the kicker: despite that Week 1 explosion, Spomer has only an outside shot at making the Chargers’ active roster. Why? Their interior offensive line depth is absolutely stacked, which is a tough break for a guy playing this well. He’s been taking third-team reps in camp behind Tyler Biadasz and fellow rookie Jake Slaughter. Even with those incredible grades and playing the entire game without giving up a pressure, the path to the 53-man roster is still a grind. The good news for Spomer is that if he keeps playing like this, he’s got a great chance to land on the practice squad. That’s a huge step for an undrafted player, getting into an NFL building.
Spomer still has a few more live-action opportunities in preseason to make his case and prove he belongs on that active roster. Every snap from here on out is an audition. Will his PFF grades and game performance be enough to force Harbaugh’s hand, or will he have to settle for a practice squad spot for now? We’ll be watching to see if this undrafted gem can keep making that kind of noise.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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