There's lots of reasons to have hope for the Los Angeles Chargers to see major improvements in 2026. But no matter what angle you want to approach it from, almost everything will hinge on a major turnaround for their offensive line.
The Chargers saw the worst pass protection in the NFL last season. Justin Herbert was hit more than any other quarterback, and the team tied for the second-most sacks allowed, only ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Of course, much of the blame can be shifted onto the injuries of Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. Their returns this season should instantly raise the floor of the offensive line by a significant margin. But the reality is that, across the board, no individual piece held up their end of the bargain even when healthy.
Thankfully, the Chargers have now re-shaped the entirety of the interior of their offensive line under Mike McDaniel, adding Cole Strange, Tyler Biadasz, and some combination of Jake Slaughter and Trevor Penning in hopes of putting last season in the past. Many fans would be content with even capable offensive-line play in 2026.
But Mike Clay, a Senior NFL Writer at ESPN, put together a model that projects the Chargers to climb even further than that. Clay's aggregated player-ranking statistics leave Los Angeles with the eighth-best offensive line in the NFL, even with deficits at both guard spots.
Current 2026 NFL Offensive Line projected starters: pic.twitter.com/oGq7k4anGY
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) May 12, 2026
ESPN Analyst's model reveals Chargers' path to having a top-10 offensive line in 2026
Clay's player ratings, as indicated at the bottom of the graphic, are calculated based on a number of factors, incorporating both raw stats and more schematic-based elements. For the Chargers, both are especially important.
For reference, here are the player grades Clay's model assigned to each of Los Angeles' projected starting offensive lineman:
LT Rashawn Slater: 7.3
LG Trevor Penning: 3.8
C Tyler Biadasz: 6.8
RG Cole Strange: 4.1
RT Joe Alt: 7.6
There's a strong chance that Slaughter beats out Penning for the starting left guard spot. But for the sake of this exercise, we'll say that such a swap wouldn't necessarily have a major effect on the model, considering Slaughter's lack of experience at the position.
It's clear the Chargers have one of the best tackle duos in the NFL. They're one of only five teams in the model where both tackles received a player grade of seven or higher. Biadasz is also a solid and reliable center, and he should be a massive upgrade over Bradley Bozeman.
Unsurprisingly though, Los Angeles' guard pairing comes in as one of the worst in the NFL under Clay's model. On an individual level, this is somewhat fair. Cole Strange showed some flashes under Mike McDaniel last season, but the inconsistencies are concerning. Neither Penning nor Slaughter has put much on tape at the guard position that inspires confidence.
But there's two factors here that mitigate those concerns. Firstly, as evidenced by Clay's model, the Chargers have the talent at center and their two tackle spots to ensure more-than-capable offensive line play even if their two guards struggle. Secondly, McDaniel has time and time again reiterated his ability to scheme around sub-par guard play with his outside-zone-heavy offensive attack.
In short, the Chargers' deficits at guard could quickly become irrelevant this season. It's a gamble the Chargers have repeatedly shown they're willing to take.
If the Chargers offensive line can truly find top-10-caliber protection even with these shortcomings, we'll be in for a very fun season.
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