The Los Angeles Chargers, without question, need to come away from the 2026 NFL Draft with a starting-caliber interior offensive lineman.
Some of their tacitness this offseason can be justified by the major extensions for Tuli Tuipulotu and Derwin James they're anticipating. But it's left them in a strange spot after the departure of Zion Johnson and the release of Mekhi Becton.
If the season were to start today, Cole Strange and Trevor Penning would be the Chargers' starting guards. You can make the case for Strange, especially given the development he saw under Mike McDaniel in Miami. But to have both players slated as starters, especially given how last season went at the position, is unacceptable.
Thankfully, it seems as though Los Angeles is more than poised to grab one of the top guards in the draft. If Olaivavega Ioane does not drop to 22nd overall, they always have the option to trade back into the second round, where there are a small selection of top guards who will be available.
But draft analyst Dane Brugler, speaking on The Athletic Football Show earlier this week, gave some alarming perspective on the draft's second best guard— Chase Bisontis out of Texas A&M. Despite his near-unanimous, second-round grade, there's a chance that he's impressed enough teams in the pre-draft process to make himself a Day 1 selection.
"I think there's a very good chance Chase Bisontis at Texas A&M goes in the first round, just based off of how certain teams feel about him. They think he's going in the late first-round."- Dane Brugler
If the Chargers want Chase Bisontis, they may need to stay put in the first round
Ioane should be Los Angeles's premier target in the draft. But there are a number of teams selecting above the Chargers, like the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers, that could easily spring for him. Trading back, therefore, makes perfect sense in a vacuum.
Los Angeles has just five selections in this draft. Moving off of the 22nd overall pick could grant them some additional capital while still allowing them to get one of the class's premier guards.
If they pull the trigger on that type of move, Bisontis should be their first choice. He has extensive experience in zone run schemes, and he has the fundamental strength and mobility to step in at guard almost immediately.
But if Bisontis is on the radar of teams selecting at the end of the first round, would they not be better off holding fast with their current selection? Even if they have their eyes on, say, Gennings Dunker or Emmanuel Pregnon, Bisontis' potential rise to the first round leaves the door open for a run on interior offensive linemen in that range.
It's not as though the Chargers couldn't get a quality offensive lineman if they traded back into the late 30s or early 40s. But if they have their eye on a specific prospect in that range, especially Bisontis, there's a real chance he could be gone when they come on the board in the second round.
That makes an already difficult draft-day decision even more excruciating.