Los Angeles Chargers

Kyle Emanuel might be the gem of the Chargers draft class

Published Jul. 21, 2015 12:15 a.m. ET

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Kyle Emanuel doesn't look like a fifth-round rookie anymore.

His coaches aren't riding him at Chargers practice. He's well on his way to memorizing parts of the playbook. And last but not least, he's developing a knack for sniffing out plays.

"Pre-snap, usually I know what I'm doing," the North Dakota State product told U-T San Diego. "Post-snap, there is still some things I haven't seen yet. It's just going to take some more reps."

The Bolts would do well to give Emanuel room to grow. So far, the 6-foot-3 linebacker has been a pleasant surprise for defensive coordinator John Pagano.

Pagano doesn't heap praise on first-year players, but he's a little superstitious when it comes to his new standout rookie.

"I don't want to jinx it," Pagano said. "Less talk and more action, how about that?"

That's just fine with Emanuel. The Bolts open camp soon, and that means he'll have another shot to show he can jump from D-II to the NFL.

"I know that there's a long way to go for me," Emanuel said, "but from what I've done so far and seen, I know this is something I can do."

(h/t U-T San Diego)

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