The Los Angeles Chargers have had a solid camp so far with players making plays on both sides of the ball, which has helped some position battles to become clearer as to what the rotation will be.
On that note, the Chargers released their first unofficial depth chart of the season, which did bring some clarification overall but did leave some confusion, specifically at the left guard spot.
When looking at this first unofficial depth chart, Los Angeles listed Kayode Awosika, Branson Taylor, or Jake Slaughter as starters at the left guard position, which does raise some eyebrows.
Obviously, three players cannot start at one position, which means that the Chargers are still figuring out who will win the starting left guard job and protect Justin Herbert throughout the 2026 season.
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Regardless of who starts at left guard, the Chargers do need to find an answer so they can have enough time to get on the same page before the regular season.
For Chargers fans, this development may be concerning, as just a season ago, this offensive line went through 32 combinations, which led to Herbert getting hit 150 times and constantly put this offense in tough situations.
Getting back to who will start at left guard, it is important to note that Awosika (five seasons) and Taylor (one season) both have some NFL experience, while Slaughter is entering his rookie season.
Slaughter and Taylor each were placed as backups at other positions as well, showcasing their versatility. Slaughter is listed as a backup center, which was his natural position in college, and Taylor was listed at left tackle, where he played in college before receiving minimal snaps at left guard with the Chargers during his rookie season in 2025.
With that in mind, it does appear that Awosika is in a good position to secure the starting job with the most NFL experience of the three, but there is still plenty of time left before the season for Taylor or Slaughter to change that.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh actually talked about Awosika earlier in the week during Tuesday's media session and specifically said that Awosika was probably the most consistent out there so far. While it was a lot earlier in the week, that does suggest Awosika is in prime position to win the job as long as he keeps stacking good practices.
Heading into the upcoming week, the Chargers are set to begin the preseason as they will play on the road against the Houston Texans on Thursday, which will present Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel with the challenge of figuring out how to finish the evaluation at the left guard position.
During Saturday's media availability , Harbaugh stated that the Chargers have a specific plan in each preseason game for certain starters to play limited reps, so it will be worth watching whether Awosika, Taylor, or Slaughter comes out with the starters and how the reps are divided up until the Chargers name a clear starter at left guard.
With the explosive players that the Chargers have on offense, having reliable play across the board on the offensive line is critical for success, and at this point, it appears that the final missing piece to that is who will start for Los Angeles at left guard in 2026.
