The 5 most important players for the Chargers' success in 2022
By Jason Reed
3. Rashawn Slater
Charger fans have had to watch some really bad offensive line units over the years and things have finally started to change in the 2020s. Justin Herbert's rookie season was a mess and that was an eye-opener for the Chargers, who have since poured in resources to rebuild the offensive line with Brandon Staley as the head coach.
The centerpiece of that offensive line rebuild is none other than left tackle, Rashawn Slater. While the Chargers also signed an All-Pro in Corey Linsley, Slater is going to go down as the foundational piece of this offensive line for his youth and immediate success in the league. As long as the Chargers are smart, Slater will go down as one of the best tackles in franchise history.
His importance to the Chargers also hinders on Justin Herbert's importance to the team. While Herbert showed that he can throw under pressure and is one of the best in the league at doing so, it is still less than ideal to have your quarterback pressured.
Fans are still having nightmares about Maxx Crosby absolutely torching Storm Norton on the right side of the offensive line in Week 18 last season. Now just imagine if Slater were to go down and the Chargers had to play a player of Norton's caliber at left tackle. It would be an absolute mess for the team.
Slater is not just a pass-blocker, either. A lot of the Chargers' success comes from successful RPO reads and having high-efficiency rushing attempts when they do choose to run the football. Slater is also a really good run blocker, which makes that offensive vision possible.