So far, the Los Angeles Chargers' selection of Jake Slaughter in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft has drawn mixed reviews.
In fairness, Slaughter came into the draft with a fourth-round grade from most analysts. Although some saw him as capable of sliding over the guard at the next level, there were many scouts who viewed him purely as a center without the agility or strength to handle serious pressure outside of that position.
But the Chargers clearly got the guy they wanted, passing up on a number of available guards to select Slaughter. Slaughter didn't play a single snap at guard through the entirety of his college career. His selection, no matter how you spin it, was a gamble on the Chargers' part.
The organization, however, has made clear since their hiring of Mike McDaniel that guard is not a priority. McDaniel's motion-heavy passing and outside-zone-dependent run scheme allow for some deficits in guard play.
Whatever questions there are about McDaniel as a head coach, he's a proven coordinator, and a look at his 2023 offense can provide us with a glimpse into what he can do with even league-average guards at his disposal.
Mike McDaniel's 2023 offense gives the Chargers hope for a serious resurgence with Slaughter and Strange
On paper, the Slaughter selection could quickly take a disastrous turn. Although Los Angeles landed additional guard depth in the sixth round with their selections of Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey, their second option at left guard behind Slaughter would currently be Trevor Penning, who's shown very little reliability over the past couple of seasons.
But McDaniel's track record is worth factoring into the discussion here. In 2023, the Miami Dolphins had one of the best offenses in the league under McDaniel's scheme, posting the most total yards and the second-most total points over the course of the regular season. His starting guards in that season were Robert Hunt and Lester Cotton.
Hunt, for his part, was a second-round draft pick of Miami's in 2020, and he had an excellent campaign in 2023, playing 329 pass-blocking snaps at right guard and allowing just five pressures, per Pro Football Focus. Can the Chargers expect that level of performance out of Strange? Probably not.
But McDaniel seems to believe he's the guy for the job in Los Angeles.
Where things get interesting is at left guard. Cotton, who played 472 snaps at left guard for the Dolphins in 2023, was one of the bottom-performing guards in the league that year by most metrics. He was a UDFA as a member of the 2019 draft class.
Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed 20 pressures and three sacks on just 362 pass-blocking snaps. Add in Liam Eichenberg, who filled in at both guard spots over the course of the season and largely fared no better, and it becomes clear that McDaniel was able to accomplish quite a bit with sub-par guard play.
The bar for Slaughter in his rookie season should be higher than that. But if things go south, there's still reason for optimism given McDaniel's track record.
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