After a so-so preseason from the Los Angeles Chargers, it's clear that GM Joe Hortiz made a major mistake. Heading into the 2025 NFL Season, you really do not get the sense that the Chargers are a whole lot better than they were at this time in 2024.
And sure, they might be, and the team could improve on their 11-win 2024 season, but this team feels like a comfortable third in the AFC West, given how much talent the Denver Broncos added this offseason. One of the main positions LA had to get better at this offseason was along the offensive line.
With the regular season beginning in about two weeks, though, the offensive line still feels like a huge question mark, and it seems like GM Joe Hortiz made a massive mistake here.
Did the LA Chargers do enough along its offensive line for the 2025 NFL Season?
Even when Rashawn Slater was in the picture, the Chargers' offensive line felt just OK, and this was obviously due to the weak interior. Right now, with Slater out for the season, the team's projected starting offensive line for the 2025 NFL Season is:
LT: Joe Alt
LG: Zion Johnson
C: Bradley Bozeman
RG: Mekhi Becton
RT: Trey Pipkins III
The interior really needed a total overhaul, and the best that Hortiz could come up with was to sign Mekhi Becton, a failed tackle-turned-guard who had the luxury of playing next to a future Hall of Fame right tackle back in 2024 in Lane Johnson.
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But don't just take my word for it; PFF seems to agree that the interior offensive line is simply bad. In 2024, Zion Johnson was given an overall grade of 65.7, which ranked just 46th among all guards. Center Bradley Bozeman's 2024 PFF grade was a poor 61.2, ranking 36th among centers.
Trey Pipkins III also graded out poorly in 2024, according to PFF. No matter how you slice this situation, it's a huge indictment on Hortiz, who, even with the best tackle duo in the NFL, somehow failed to realize that the interior offensive line needed more work. Sure, he could dip into the free agency market before the regular season starts, but the primary time to make the needed change was in March and April.