ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano believes the Chargers' offensive line worries are overblown.
In his most recent piece, Graziano listed potential surprises for all 32 teams and shared two optimistic outlooks regarding their offensive line.
"The loss of the starting center on a team whose most recent season was done in by season-ending injuries to its starting tackles was the last thing anyone around the Chargers wanted to see happen," Graziano wrote.
"But they believe they're better fortified against such issues this season due to their depth, and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's blocking schemes do a lot to mitigate protection issues as well."
On the surface, the Chargers' offensive line doesn’t appear to be in a great spot.
Los Angeles lost
its starting center, Tyler Biadasz, a few weeks ago with a torn ACL. Now, the Chargers will have to rely on rookie Jake Slaughter to handle the ball on each and every offensive snap.
That's a tall order for the rookie; however, Slaughter graded out as one of the best centers in the country during his time in Florida.
Los Angeles' interior offensive line was the worst in the league last season, but they have high hopes that it will not be the case in 2026. The health of offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater will go a long way toward how the offensive line will perform as a whole.
As for McDaniel, he was the biggest and best addition for the Chargers. All signs point to McDaniel shifting the offensive line toward a zone-blocking scheme that prioritizes lateral athleticism and collective movement over brute power.
In McDaniel's scheme, it's all about athleticism over size and quick-strike protection. The scheme is there; now it's all about executing it.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Are Chargers' offensive line concerns overblown? NFL insider thinks so
