It's rare that a majority of a fanbase agrees on a prospect in the NFL Draft. That's what made LA Chargers fans' disdain for Trevor Penning in the 2022 NFL Draft so jarring. Despite needing offensive line help, Penning was widely viewed as the worst-case scenario selection for the Bolts in the first round.
Now, three years later, Penning ironically has found his way to the Chargers. Desperately needing offensive line help after Joe Alt's season-ending injury, the Chargers traded a future draft pick to the New Orleans Saints for Penning.
It's a full-circle moment for the Chargers, who at least get Penning in the building for a low-stakes future draft pick instead of a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Chargers ironically trade for Trevor Penning as offensive line injuries mount
Chargers fans wanted the team to take a swing on offensive line help and this is certainly a swing. While there are prior feelings around Penning, fans should still be happy with this move. At least the Chargers did something.
Evan Neal was the big name mentioned as a possible target for the Chargers and there is no reason to be disappointed in it being Penning instead. Both former first-round picks are in the exact same boat; both losing their starting roles despite being first-round picks.
This was the best the Chargers were going to do at the deadline. It's rare for NFL teams to trade rotational offensive linemen during the season. It's nearly unheard of for a team to trade a starting-caliber lineman at the deadline. Getting someone with first-round priors, even if the bust tag was evident, is as good as the Chargers are going to get.
Will Penning save the Chargers' offensive line? Probably not. But maybe there is something in there Jim Harbaugh and the Bolts can crack. After all, he was good enough in college to convince teams he was worthy of a first-round pick, even if Chargers fans wanted to stay far away from him.
Penning has logged a 50.4 overall grade on Pro Football Focus this season. He has allowed 15 pressure on 234 pass-block snaps, which is in line with the mediocre play the Chargers' offensive line has put together this season.
The 26-year-old hasn't put together a great NFL career to this point, but he at least provides positional versatility as a depth piece for the Bolts. Drafted as a tackle, Penning has since moved to guard. It may not be top-tier play, but Penning's experience at both guard and tackle do provide value to the Bolts.
It may seem disappointing that Penning was the big swing the Chargers took but that's the nature of the trade deadline. This is exactly why it was such a mistake for the Chargers to ignore their offensive line depth during the offseason.