The Los Angeles Chargers have had an up-and-down performance throughout the first two weeks of the preseason, which is something they hope to be more consistent heading into week three of the preseason.
On that note, there is one big question the Chargers have to answer if they truly want to be a playoff contender. Can the interior offensive line hold up with the players currently slated to fill those roles?
Currently, the expectation seems to be that Cole Strange will start at right guard, Jake Slaughter will start at center, and Kayode Awosika will start at left guard. However, it is important to note that there is still a competition going on at left guard with Branson Taylor being one of the primary candidates.
When looking at the trio of Strange, Slaughter, and Awosika, there is no clear answer as to how each of them will play throughout the season together, but based on who the Chargers have available, this seems like one of the better combinations, especially after the injury to starting center Tyler Biadasz .
Starting with Strange, he did have his struggles during the 2025 season with the Miami Dolphins, as he recorded an overall grade of 54.9 (No. 58 among 81 Guards), a pass-blocking grade of 42.2 (No. 75 among 81 Guards), and a run-blocking grade of 57 according to PFF . In terms of other statistics, Strange allowed two sacks, 21 pressures, and tallied one penalty.
While Strange did struggle at times last year, he does have the benefit of working with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel for the second consecutive year, who should be able to help Strange understand the system much better. Throughout camp, Strange has looked solid, and if he can understand the offense much better than he did in 2025, he should be even better in 2026.
At the center position, Slaughter now has a lot more on his plate as the expected starting center without Biadasz, according to the Chargers' head coach Jim Harbaugh. Slaughter now focuses on his natural position of center, where he played for the Florida Gators during the 2025 season.
In Slaughter's 2025 campaign, he was very consistent for Florida, as he started 12 games for the Gators last season and allowed just four pressures the entire season , which was a very impressive mark. Slaughter was also graded quite well, as he had a pass-blocking efficiency of 99.4 (No. 4 among FBS centers with at least 500 snaps), a run-blocking grade of 80.2 (No. 2 among all FBS centers), and an offensive grade of 79.3 (No. 5 among all FBS centers).
As Slaughter enters his rookie season, if he can lean on his SEC experience with Florida as well as consistent technique, he should put himself in a great position to be a solid starter for the Chargers at center, but could also give the Chargers the perfect player to lead communication up front.
The final piece of this trio is to talk about Awosika, who is projected to start at left guard but still needs to win the competition. As far as Awosika's experience goes, during the 2025 season, he played 287 snaps for the Lions and recorded an overall grade of 57.9, a run-blocking grade of 52.5, and a pass-blocking grade of 60.5, according to PFF . Additionally, Awosika allowed three sacks, 10 hits, and recorded one penalty.
With the experience that Awosika brings to the Chargers' offensive line, and especially the interior of the offensive line, if he can perform well to finish the preseason, he should be in a great position to secure a starting spot in addition to helping this offense move the ball on the ground and through the air.
Currently, the Chargers' offensive line is still coming together, especially on the interior, which could be a cause for concern if Strange, Slaughter, and Awosika do not create open lanes for the backs and protect quarterback Justin Herbert.
However, if the trio of Strange, Slaughter, and Awosika can create solid chemistry and work together well throughout the 2026 season, there is no telling what this offense is capable of with Herbert at quarterback and McDaniel at offensive coordinator.
