Thomas Martinez Chargers 2026 NFL Draft Mailbag 3.0: Remaining Holes and Camp Battles

The NFL draft is now behind us and the Los Angeles Chargers walked away from the draft with eight selections. Los Angeles added four offensive linemen in the draft and several more undrafted free agents. The draft may be over but there are still some uncertainties heading forward. Let's dive into some mailbag questions and discuss.

From Jon Locke (@lockestar25
on X): If you had to guess what’s the week one starting O line?

This will be an interesting training camp for the offensive line with the addition of second-round pick Jake Slaughter into the mix. So far, the Chargers front office has stated that they believe that Slaughter will compete for the left guard spot in the starting lineup. I have discussed how similar the athletic profiles between Slaughter and Cole Strange are so in theory it could work. However, Slaughter has never played guard before and was widely projected as a center-only prospect.

The NFL season kicks off in a little over four months. Asking a rookie who has spent all of the off-season preparing for the combine to switch positions and learn an entirely new offensive playbook is a tall task. There is a chance that Jake Slaughter is simply the backup center this season and that Trevor Penning wins the left guard job over Kayode Awosika.

There are other influences that may be inserted into the equation but if I had to take a stance I would say the starting offensive line week one would be from left to right Rashawn Slater, Trevor Penning, Tyler Biadasz, Cole Strange and Joe Alt. This hypothetical line does include four first-round picks with Biadasz being the lone non-first-round selection.

From Bolt Casa (@AndrewLoya91 on X): Do you feel the TE room is complete?

My short answer is no, the tight end room will likely see some moves. Mike McDaniel utilizes two tight end sets often. Fullback Alec Ingold will provide some extra blocking ability, but if Charlie Kolar or Oronde Gadsden II miss any time, will the Chargers rely on an unproven practice squad player to fill in? I am not sure.

The wildcard in the room is Scott Matlock. So far, the front office has said they see a role for him, if he and Ingold are on the team, that doesn't leave much room for any other rostered tight end. If they choose to add on though, there are still plenty of veteran tight ends on the market that would make sense to fill a role in the room.

From Jathin Reddy(@JathinRedd83205 on X): You were a huge fan of Brenen Thompson. Now that we drafted him, what role do you see for him right away and what does he have the potential to be for us down the road ?

Mississippi State wideout Brenen Thompson — Brenen Thompson | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I was a very big fan of Brenen Thompson during the draft process. Often, college speed receivers will do very little other than run go routes and deep posts. Thompson is much more than that. In this offense he will be utilized to create space. Every roster move, including the draft, has been seemingly made to build out an offense that will maximize spacing. Thompson and his speed and acceleration will aid in that effort.

General manager Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh mentioned Thompson and what he could be in this offense. Thompson will eventually be compared to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle but Hortiz mentioned another interesting name in DeSean Jackson.

Could Thompson become a threat like Jackson was for so many years? It's possible with Justin Herbert as his quarterback and Mike McDaniel as his play-caller. College defensive backs were terrified of Thompson's speed, but that likely won't be the case as often in the NFL. Even still, if Thompson can stretch the field and open up the field for the offense, that alone would be a major victory. If Thompson catches a Herbert bomb on occasion, even better results.

From BigDaddyE (@BigDaddyE3737 on X): Do you think UDFA World has a beater chance to be the future swing T? I think they can stash him on IL because of the injury. If he was healthy was he a better prospect than (fourth round selection) Travis Burke?

Recently signed undrafted free agent Isaiah World and fourth-round pick Trevor Burke are stylistically different as tackles. Burke is more physical, World more athletic and smooth. Had World been healthy, he likely would have been the higher-ranked prospect. Given their stylistic differences, it will be hard to say who could be the better swing tackle down the road. World has a more prototypical style of a left tackle and Burke fits more for right.

World will absolutely be stashed away on injured reserve as he heals from a January ACL tear. Having both of them on the roster in 2027 will be a blessing for the Chargers.

From Stabs (@taStabss on X): Do you think they’ll trim from other positions to have more offensive linemen on the 53? What positions do you think those would be?

The Chargers could carry ten offensive linemen on the active roster next season as a precaution after what happened in 2025. The tight end room would be the one position group I would have eyes on simply because with the extra lineman on the roster, they could run more six offensive line sets in lieu of an inline Y-tight end.

From E-Wing Fighter Pilot (@holicclothing on X): What position we didn’t draft that you wish we did? Is their a hindsight pick where you would have loved us to take another player available instead of who we picked?

The cornerback room is the one position group that an addition from the draft would have been warranted for a long-term plan. Joe Hortiz himself mentioned this and is likely to the high volume of cornerbacks that were brought in as undrafted free agents.

As I begin my 2027 early examination of the potential prospects in next year's class, cornerbacks will be at the top of the priority list.

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