The Chargers’ first unofficial depth chart of the season answered a few questions, but it also created one pretty notable one at left guard.
Los Angeles listed Kayode Awosika, Branson Taylor, or Jake Slaughter as starters at the spot, which is an unusual way to open a depth chart because only one of them can actually line up there when the season gets rolling. For now, the message is clear: the battle is still alive, and the Chargers have not settled on who will protect Justin Herbert from that side in 2026.
That matters because this is not just a minor camp wrinkle. Last season, the Chargers’ offensive line cycled through 32 combinations, and Herbert was hit 150 times while the offense kept getting put in difficult spots. So even if the team has had a solid camp overall, left guard remains one of the key pieces that still needs to fall into place.
There is some separation in terms of experience. Awosika has five seasons under his belt, Taylor has one, and Slaughter is a rookie.
Slaughter and Taylor also show up as backups at other spots, which says plenty about how the Chargers view their flexibility. Slaughter is listed behind center, the position he played in college, while Taylor is listed at left tackle, where he played in college before taking minimal snaps at left guard with the Chargers during his rookie season in 2025.
That setup makes Awosika look like the front-runner right now, and head coach Jim Harbaugh added to that impression earlier in the week when he said during Tuesday’s media session that Awosika was probably the most consistent out there so far. It’s still early, but that kind of praise usually means something in a camp competition.
The next step comes quickly. The Chargers open preseason on the road against the Houston Texans on Thursday, and that game should give Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel another look at how the left guard reps are being sorted out. Harbaugh also said during Saturday’s media availability that the Chargers have a specific plan in each preseason game for certain starters to play limited reps, so the distribution there will be worth watching closely.
With so much talent on offense, the Chargers need the line to hold up. Right now, the last unresolved piece looks like the same one sitting at left guard.
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For the Chargers, Jaimes is the name worth noting because the former pick is suddenly back in the spotlight after landing in a new camp situation. None of the newcomers are being brought in with Week 1 starting jobs in mind, but these late roster moves can still matter for players trying to carve out a role, and Jaimes now gets another chance to show he can provide insurance on the offensive line. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Fans Should Be Excited About This Rookie Deep Threat
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The most encouraging part for the Chargers is that Thompson is not just running past defenders in isolated moments, he is also earning steady looks from Justin Herbert. For a young receiver, that kind of quarterback trust matters, especially in a camp where every rep can shape the depth chart. If Thompson keeps stacking those opportunities, the Chargers may have found a rookie who can stretch the field and make the offense a lot harder to defend. [Read more 🡒]