1. Drafting a guard with the intent of moving Matt Feiler to right tackle
There is nothing wrong with the LA Chargers drafting a guard in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The team is still without a starting right guard and if there is someone who is really high on the team's board at 17 then they should go ahead and take him to plug that hole. It may not be my favorite choice, but it all depends on how the team is grading players out.
One avenue the team should not explore — which has been talked about by some fans as a possibility — is drafting a guard with the intent of moving Matt Feiler to right tackle. In this situation, the Bolts would have to add two starting guards (assuming that Brenden Jaimes still is not ready to start) instead of adding a starting guard and starting tackle.
Feiler does have experience playing right tackle and that seemingly makes it an easy fit for the team if it does not have a right tackle that is very high on the list. Feiler was really good for the Bolts last season and having that presence anchoring the right side may seem like a good thing.
As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Chargers have an exceptional center/right side with Corey Linsley, Matt Feiler and Rashawn Slater. Breaking that up to move Feiler to right tackle does not make a lot of sense, especially when you consider the numbers.
Sure, Feiler can play right tackle and has in the NFL but his numbers have been far better when he is playing left guard. According to Pro Football Focus, Feiler allowed 25 pressures in 2021 and 16 pressures in 2020 with an efficiency rate of 97.8% and 98.2%, respectively.
Both of those seasons were guard-exclusive seasons. Meanwhile, Feiler was exclusively a right tackle in 2019 and 2018. In those two seasons, he allowed 25 and 26 pressures with an efficiency rate of 97.4% and 96.6%, respectively.
Yes, there is less competition in playing guard but it is clear that he does better on the inside and really blossomed as a run-blocking next to Slater last season. Why should the Chargers move Feiler to a position that he is going to most likely play worse in while also bringing in a guard to replace him at left guard and potentially not be as good as Feiler was?
Keep it simple. Feiler should stay at left guard and the Chargers should find a natural tackle to play right tackle.