4 Los Angeles Chargers players with the most to prove in preseason opener

The Los Angeles Chargers open the preseason at home against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night. It will be the coaching debut of Jim Harbaugh.

The Chargers will be ushering in a brand new era of football, but how much of that they actually show in the preseason remains to be seen. Considering the starting quarterback, Justin Herbert, won't play in the preseason, the answer to that is probably not much.

With plenty of roster spots up for grabs, Chargers fans should see some great competition for those spots on the field. These four players have the most to gain in terms of obtaining a roster spot on Saturday night.

4 Chargers with most to play for vs. Seahawks

Brenden Rice, Wide Receiver

Brenden Rice has made up a lot of ground this summer after being drafted in the seventh round, which put him at the bottom of the depth chart. He has looked great and it would be a surprise if he's left off the final roster.

But other wide receivers will use these three games to try and beat him out, so he needs to solidify that spot by duplicating what he's done in camp in a preseason game.

Luis Perez, Quarterback

How could a quarterback who wasn't even on an NFL roster a week ago not have a lot to gain in a spot like this? Luis Perez has his work cut out for him to earn a spot on this team, but he could impress the coaching staff enough to keep his number handy or perhaps be added to the practice squad with a solid preseason.

Max Duggan and Casey Bauman are likely on shaky ground and Perez could lean on his vast experience to show that he belongs in the NFL.

Jaret Patterson, Running Back

Nobody who covers the Chargers pegged Jaret Patterson as anything more than a camp participant for this team, but he has been impressive and many 53-man roster projections now include the fourth-year running back.

He should get ample opportunity to bolster that thought in this game.

Zach Heins, Tight End

The Chargers' undrafted class has left something to be desired this year, but tight end Zach Heins looks to be one of the outliers.

The Chargers have Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst set as their top two tight ends, but Heins could press either Donald Parham or Stone Smartt for a spot.

Heins is a 6-foot-7-inch prospect out of South Dakota State who can block and catch. This will be the first time some Chargers fans see him in action so it's a good chance for him to show what he can do.