Setting their sights on the tough season ahead, the Los Angeles Chargers front office has been all too familiar with what it feels like to have depleted depth along the offensive line.
This past season, the team fielded a mixed bag of players along the line as injuries mounted and the season progressed. Now the Chargers are looking ahead and putting faith in a standout UDFA as a depth piece and potentially something more, if things work out. If the numbers are to be believed, things have worked out so far.
A depth piece for the roster in an important position could have more potential.
The Chargers UDFA class had a number of notable names, but among them, Isaiah World was one of the most notable. For those who follow college draft profiles, World was at one point mocked as early as a first round tackle prospect early in his career. Unfortunately, the 6'6 tackle never put the right skillset together with his impressive frame, and his game never took shape at the level he was projected in college.
By the end of the year, the tackle had been viewed as a physically impressive Day 3 pick, but an unfortunate injury caused him to drop off of boards entirely.
The Chargers, however, signed the tackle prospect as a part of their UDFA class, and with the signing money recently being released, a hefty chunk of guranteed money has been attached to World's name.
In fact, the amount of guaranteed money is the second most in NFL history for a UDFA contract, sitting at a whopping $534,000 guaranteed. The only UDFA contract with more guaranteed money in the past has been WR Isaiah Bond.
This guaranteed money is a statement on World, and certainly shows faith from the front office in the tackle's recovery process thus far, as well as the expectation that he could possibly see a place on the depth chart if his health checks out.
While World's main knock on his college game was technique, the added stress of an injury knocked him off of draft boards entirely. However, the guaranteed money shows that it's quite possible there was market competition for the tackle, despite this. World has an ideal frame for a high-end tackle prospect without the blocking ability expected, but with an NFL staff to work on rehabilitation and technique with the young Oregon Duck, the technique will develop if World as a player can.
With giving so much guaranteed money, the front office is both demonstrating faith and ensuring a young and promising potential depth piece will stay and remain available.
However, while the contract is nearly record-setting as far as UDFA contracts go, it's simply drops in the bucket out of the pockets of the owners. By signing World to this contract, not only is there faith being demonstrated and investment going into the developmental program, but it's at no risk to the cap or actual team function.
If World ever sees a single meaningful NFL snap, GM Joe Hortiz may have found a rough 22-year-old gem at next-to-no risk. In the worst case scenario, World fails to rehab and finds himself off of the practice squad two years later. If World pans out, however, the Chargers won't have to worry about fielding a mishmash offensive line, and would have a surprising depth piece in the future as the roster changes and players leave.
Whichever direction his career goes, Isaiah World might not be the UDFA to watch this season, but at a young 22, the tackle has the faith of the front office and the investment from them to be a deep roster name to follow in the coming seasons.
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