![Florida offensive lineman Jake Slaughter (66) answers question during a press conference about Billy Napier’s firing at Heavener Football Center in Gainesville, FL on Monday, October 20, 2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_445,y_110,w_1905,h_1071/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/13/01kq18kn0n46y08w76h2.jpg "Florida offensive lineman Jake Slaughter (66) answers question during a press conference about Billy Napier’s firing at Heavener Football Center in Gainesville, FL on Monday, October 20, 2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
The Los Angeles Chargers made quite the intriguing second-round selection when they took Jake Slaughter out of Florida at 63rd overall.
The fact that they needed to grab an offensive guard at some point in this draft was no secret. Their decision to take one in the second round, even after trading back, was not a surprise in the least. But Slaughter came into the draft with a relatively unanimous third/fourth round grade.
Even though it's clear they were out on Emmanuel Pregnon, taking Slaughter was, at the very least, a bit of a reach. The Chargers, in typical fashion, have gambled with the their offensive line yet again.
But the potential problems with Slaughter's selection extend far beyond even his value at his draft slot. In all of his five seasons at Florida, he did not play a single snap at guard.
Los Angeles is clearly counting on him to slot in ahead of Trevor Penning at left guard as a rookie. If things go south for Slaughter, the Chargers could quickly be left with a disastrous outcome on their hands.
Chargers may be leaving too much in the hands of an unproven rookie
In fairness, any guard Los Angeles selected in this year's draft was going to carry a measure of risk into his rookie season. It's the gamble the Chargers took when they decided not to retain Zion Johnson or pursue any of the top guards in the first waves of free agency.
But Slaughter comes with a bit extra. He was excellent at center during his time at Florida, ranking in the top-10 in overall blocking grade at his position in his final three college seasons, per Pro Football Focus. But he lacks ideal positional size for a guard, and there's always the chance of a brutal learning curve when a player swaps positions upon their transition to the next level.
The Slaughter pick has a chance to work out swimmingly for the Chargers. There's also a chance things quickly go wrong.
If Slaughter struggles to make the leap, Los Angeles will be left with Penning as their sole option at left guard. Across 421 total pass-blocking snaps in 2025, Penning allowed five sacks and 26 pressures. While he still has upside as a run blocker, he's most certainly not the piece a contending team wants to rely on as a starter.
At the very least, the Chargers now have depth at the position. But the combination of moves they've made this offseason has left the door open, at least a crack, for an offensive line outcome that would be less than desirable.
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