For as long as it’s not taken care of, the Los Angeles Chargers‘ offensive line will come under massive scrutiny. What with several decisions to make about who to cut and who to extend, this situation will not be resolved any time soon. Still, one way to fix it could be through the draft, where the O-line talent this year is exceptional.
In FanSided’s latest mock draft, the Chargers not only use their first round selection on an offensive lineman, but use two of their first three of their first selections along the offensive trenches. Most importantly, should the Chargers follow this draft blueprint, they can conserve some of their cap space to address some key extensions and maybe acquire some premium skill position talent for the offense as well.
For the first pick, FanSided’s draft has the Chargers selecting a player who has been projected to them for quite some time: Olaivevega Ioane of Penn State. With questions about both the left guard and center positions, Ioane could prove to be a huge upgrade as both a mauler in the run game and a solid pass blocker. “Ioane is as solid as they come on the interior offensive line and should fit beautifully in Mike McDaniel’s offense. More importantly, if he and the rest of the top-line starters can remain healthy, we could see the Bolts really start to take off”, FanSided wrote of Ioane’s abilities.
This move could see the Chargers make some cuts along the line to free up space for Ioane, by cutting both Mekhi Becton and Bradley Bozeman. However, Ioane is not the only draft selection along the O-line that FanSided has the Chargers making.
With their third round selection, FanSided sees Kansas State center Sam Hecht as a potential game changing selection, especially should the Chargers cut ties with Bozeman. Hecht had a strong season that proved his worth for any potential suitors, grading out as an 80.0 overall according to PFF’s grade. That ranked him sixth amongst 306 qualified centers. Most impressively, Hecht did not allow a single sack this last year.
All of this could come down to player availability, as both Ioane and Hecht could project higher after strong performances in the Senior Bowl and a potential chance to show out at the NFL Combine.
Either way, no matter where Ioane and Hecht end up, both are exceptional talents that Justin Herbert would love to see be added to the team. What with the new addition of Mike McDaniel as the offensive coordinator, the offense may live and die by the trenches. It is therefore paramount that Herbert remains upright and the running game remains steady in order for McDaniel’s idea to come to fruition.
The bottom line is that the Chargers could face wholesale change up front no matter what. With the potential additions of both Ioane and Hecht, a lot could be taken care of before any tension sets in.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
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