Missouri offensive tackle Cayden Green is already showing up in the Chargers’ orbit, at least on paper.
In Luke Easterling’s latest 2027 NFL Mock Draft, Green landed with Los Angeles, a pairing that makes sense for a team built around protecting Justin Herbert. The mock is obviously early, but Green’s mix of versatility and athleticism gives him real appeal as a name to keep on the radar heading into next offseason.
Easterling pointed directly to the Chargers’ biggest priority.
“There’s nothing more important for the Chargers moving forward than keeping Justin Herbert protected and healthy, and to that end, they need to keep loading up on as much talent as possible in the trenches,” Easterling wrote. “Both tackles are elite when healthy, so if the Chargers targeted Green, he would likely slide inside to guard, where he could be even more dominant at the next level.”
That’s the key with Green: he isn’t being floated as a replacement for Rashawn Slater or Joe Alt. Those two are arguably the league’s best tackle duo when healthy.
Instead, Green’s value comes from his ability to move around. He has played both guard and tackle, which would give the Chargers a possible interior starter and a swing option if injury ever hits the edge spots.
Green’s path has been a steady rise. He started at Oklahoma, where he logged 568 snaps at left guard and made five starts.
After transferring to Missouri in 2024, he turned in a strong season, giving up only one sack across 809 snaps. He then shifted to left tackle, stumbled early with a sack allowed against Central Missouri, and settled in from there.
By the end of it, he had earned second-team All-SEC honors and established himself as one of the top tackles in the conference and in the country.
The traits jump off the tape. At six-foot-five and 324 pounds, Green brings serious power and athletic juice.
He can hold up in pass protection with quick feet and strong lateral movement, and his anchor helps him absorb bull rushes. He also uses his hands aggressively, knocking away rushers’ hands to throw off their timing.
In the run game, that power shows up in a big way. Green can move people off the line, reach the second level, and finish blocks with an edge. He plays with the kind of force that makes him look like a true tone-setter up front.
Still, he’s not a finished product. His pass protection needs more consistency, and the technique can get loose.
The timing and placement of his punch are uneven, and polished pass rushers can still give him trouble. If he wants to push himself into first-round territory, that part of his game has to clean up.
There’s a long way to go before next offseason, but Green already looks like the sort of lineman the Chargers would want in the building. His size, versatility, and athletic profile make him a strong fit for a team that wants to keep Herbert upright for years to come.
In Other News...
Chargers Suddenly Face A Derwin James Problem They Can't Ignore
Derwin James is pushing through a fractured pinky finger and intends to keep playing the rest of the season in a cast, which immediately puts the Chargers in a familiar but uncomfortable spot. For a defense that leans heavily on James versatility and edge, even a hand injury can matter, and the team is already keeping a close eye on how it might affect his performance moving forward.
Elijah Moldens hamstring issue adds another layer to the equation, even if Los Angeles does have options behind him. Tony Jefferson and R.J. Mickens give the Chargers some safety depth, and the front office could look at veteran free agents if it feels the room needs more insurance, but James remains the player who changes the conversation the most. The question now is less whether he will play and more how much the injury will ask him to give. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Have A Tight End Problem They Can't Ignore
The Chargers had to make a quick fix at tight end after injuries thinned the position group, adding Hayden Rucci off the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. The move came after David Njoku and Charlie Kolar were placed on injured reserve, leaving Los Angeles suddenly short on depth at a spot that can matter just as much in protection as it does in the passing game.
Oronde Gadsden is now the only other healthy tight end on the active roster, which gives Rucci a fast track into a room with very little margin for error. He brings limited NFL experience, but he does at least know Mike McDaniels offensive system from his time with the Miami Dolphins, a detail that should help the Chargers get him up to speed sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Just Put A Broncos Assistant In The Spotlight
After a rough Week 1 for Denvers offense, Sean Payton made a point of highlighting offensive coordinator Davis Webb for the way he responded and adjusted going into the next stretch. It was the kind of public nod that can matter inside a staff room, especially early in a season when first impressions tend to linger and every decision gets magnified.
For the Chargers, the broader AFC West picture only sharpens the focus. Jim Harbaugh has been adamant about cleaning up an 0-2 start, and Derwin James has stressed the need for honesty and improvement, while Kansas City is already managing Kenneth Walkers workload and leaning toward a bigger role for rookie Emmett Johnson. In a division where small fixes can quickly become major turning points, Denvers coaching spotlight is just one more reminder of how little margin anyone has right now. [Read more 🡒]