Why Chargers Punch Reset Button on Entire Unit in 7-Round NFL Mock Draft

The Chargers don't really have a choice but to start over this offseason.

Jake Slaughter | Alan Youngblood / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers have one massive, glaring weakness going into the offseason: Offensive line in front of Justin Herbert. 

Specifically, the interior of the offensive line was a mess. Even if elite tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater hadn’t suffered season-ending injuries on the edges, the interior would’ve been a disaster.

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Mekhi Becton, the team’s big free-agency signing one offseason ago, finished 79th out of 81 guards at PFF. Veteran center Bradley Bozeman, 40th out of 40. At the other guard spot, Zion Johnson was average, yet heads to free agency. 

Mock drafts don’t really have a choice but to assault this area for the Chargers each time out.

Chargers start over in new mock draft

A good example of a mock draft that attacks this area for the Chargers comes from Daniel Popper of The Athletic.

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In Popper’s latest effort, he has the Chargers drafting edge rusher Akheem Mesidor in Round 1. Then, it’s all about the offensive line: 

• Round 2, Pick 55: Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M
• Round 3, Pick 86: Jake Slaughter, C, Florida

As Popper notes, Bisontis is the second-ranked guard in the entire class by his colleague, Dane Brugler. The Chargers lucking into him at No. 55 would be a boon.

Besides the amazing last name, Slaughter brings much to the table too, as Popper writes: “Bozeman played poorly last season. He is also not a fit in new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s scheme, which should incorporate more outside-zone blocking concepts. Those concepts require a level of movement skills that Bozeman does not possess.”

Jake Slaughter (Florida) had 80+ PFF grades as both a pass blocker and a run blocker in each of the past 2 seasons despite facing a murderer’s row of DTs, including Walter Nolen, Alfred Collins, Christen Miller, Deone Walker, Omarr Norman-Lott, Joshua Farmer, and Darrell Jackson https://t.co/5OYdJm5U1J

— Durst (@DurstNFLDraft) February 14, 2026

Make no mistake, Chargers fans would love to see the team take a massive swing on a free agent like Tyler Linderbaum. But that’s a tricky, super-expensive way to go about things that simply might not work out.

Here’s the catch for the Chargers: They didn’t draft a lineman until the sixth round one year ago. But given Joe Hortiz’s track record at finding quality players throughout the draft, using a second-and-third-round pick on the area might turn out better than most would expect. 

Regardless, the Chargers dug themselves this hole. Now, getting predictable like they do in this mock might be the only way back out.

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