Breiden Fehoko Beats Out Christian Covington and Others to Make Chargers' Initial 53-Man Roster

COSTA MESA – The Chargers entered training camp with an abundance of competition at the interior defensive line spots. Now that the team has finalized their roster cuts, getting down to 53 players ahead of Tuesday's 1:00 p.m. PT deadline, it's clear which guys have won each camp battle.

Among them, Breiden Fehoko has secured the sixth and final interior defensive lineman spot on the team's initial 53-man roster.

“I feel like I have not made it yet because every day, you are still trying to earn the respect of your teammates and your coaches and everybody in this organization," he said. "Until you win a Super Bowl and until you become a made man in this league, I feel like I’ve never really made it yet. So, I’m still a long way from where I want to be as a player individually, but more than grateful to be a part of this organization another week.”

The Chargers added heavily to their defensive line this offseason, brining in two marquee free agents that figure to slot in as the primary interior starters in Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson. They also added Morgan Fox and drafted Otito Ogbonnia in the fifth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

With the number of newcomers growing as the offseason shook out, that called for a fierce competition for the final two roster spots at the position. Ultimately, Jerry Tillery and Fehoko secured those spots, beating out the likes of Christian Covington, Joe Gaziano and Andrew Brown.

Fehoko, who's been on both sides of the spectrum, being a part of the tough conversations early on in his career of being told he didn’t make the team, said Tuesday that it was an emotional day for him and his family.

“Emotional. I’ve been cut twice and it’s — he was happy," Fehoko said with great emotion when asked what the conversations were like with his family upon telling them he made the team. "My mom left me a voicemail. She was tearing up a little bit. My fiancé cried a little bit, too, this morning. I pulled in and my brother called me. I texted him and I said, ‘We’re going to be good.’ And it’s funny, he read it and he said, ‘Man, you’ll be good. Some team will pick you up.’ I said, ‘No. We’re going to be good.’ He read it wrong, but he called me and he was crying and he was emotional.

"It’s just been one those rides where I’ve always had to battle from the bottom up. I’ve had to grind for everything I have. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I never want things handed to me on a silver platter. I always want people to challenge me."

Fehoko, mainly known as an anchor in the middle of the defensive line whose calling card is stopping the run, also showed improvements in camp with his interior push of getting into the backfield on passing downs.

“As a defensive unit, you work together. But as a defensive line, we feel like if there is a play in that box, in that tackle box from the left tackle to the right tackle, we should be making that play," Fehoko said. "That’s the mentality we have going into every week. That’s the mentality we have every practice is we should dominate the line of scrimmage and that’s the identity we’ve formed this offseason."

In three preseason games, Fehoko recorded five tackles, including one tackle for loss. Last season, he appeared in eight games, making one start, while logging 13 tackles.

"He has a lot of the things that you look for in a football player; toughness, physicality," head coach Brandon Staley said of Fehoko following roster cuts. "He’s really smart for a D-lineman, just in terms of how he can really be a general in the middle, be a commander.

"If that can be an advantage for you, that’s one of the reasons why Sebastian [Joseph-Day] is so valuable, because he can truly be a general in there, commanding his teammates and getting people lined up. [Fehoko] has that quality, too. He’s just a tough, rugged football player. We’re certainly glad to have him.”

The Chargers' defensive line will look to elevate their productivity in stopping the run after allowing an average of 139 rushing yards per game last season, marking the third-worst in the NFL.

More from Charger Report

• Chargers Cutdown Day: How the Initial 53-Man Roster is Taking Shape
• Chargers 2022 Roster Cut Tracker: The Road to 53 Players
• Chargers Waive Preseason Standout WR Michael Bandy
• 3 Chargers Players Who Improved Their Stock the Most This Preseason
• Chargers Face Tough Decisions Ahead of Final Cutdown Day

Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Charger Report. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel for more Chargers coverage.