The Chargers enter the draft in hopes of getting one of the top offensive tackles to protect quarterback Justin Herbert’s blindside.
Herbert has publicly expressed that he would love to reunite with his former teammate from Oregon, Penei Sewell.
Landing him would likely require a trade-up, and so would former Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater, who the team might favor over Sewell, another lineman highly sought of.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, a couple of people he has talked to believe Los Angeles is one of the teams that has Slater ranked higher because he’s viewed as more versatile and able to play multiple positions on the line.
Slater proved that he can play the left tackle position at a high level in 2019, but he demonstrated the same capability at right tackle in his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Due to his lack of arm length, many believe that he should get kicked inside at the next level, but Slater is technically sound and has the athleticism and smarts to overcome any measurement concerns.
He should be given the opportunity to prove himself at left tackle right off the bat and if he doesn’t pan out, he can easily slide in at guard or center.
The fact that L.A. could have Slater over Sewell due to position versatility makes me wonder if USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker is higher up on the team’s draft board than Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw.
Vera-Tucker put together a solid season as the Trojans’ left tackle this past season and he has plenty of experience at guard, where many project him to play in the NFL due to his lack of arm length.
In my opinion, Vera-Tucker comes with highly impressive athleticism, movement skills and functional strength to match and stymie pass rushers, and I believe he could be a fine blindside blocker in this league.
Only one more day until we find out.
