Where Chargers’ offensive line ranks in projected pass protection
One of the Chargers’ priorities this offseason was to get the pieces up front to put quarterback Justin Herbert in the most optimal position to succeed.
General manager Tom Telesco did so by signing Corey Linsley, Matt Feiler, Oday Aboushi and drafting Rashawn Slater and Brenden Jaimes to go along with Bryan Bulaga.
On paper, the unit looks the most stout that it has in years, but how will they perform when they actually step on the field this fall?
ESPN recently projected and ranked the best and worst offensive lines in the league according to pass block win rates, which takes every projected starter’s individual pass block win rate over the past two seasons.
Players who did not play in either or both seasons (including rookies) were assigned a below-average PBWR for their position, and anyone who failed to meet the qualifying threshold had their win rate regressed toward that below-average target.
After finishing No. 31 last season, Los Angeles checked in at No. 22 heading into the 2021 season.
This is already a dramatic improvement over 2020. The Chargers ranked 31st in PBWR last season, so the addition of Linsley, the possibility of a healthy year from Bulaga, and a first-round rookie in Slater offer significant promise for this line.
The model is not going to assume immediate success for Slater, however, and Feiler struggled last season in Pittsburgh, hence the middling rank.
The organization did a good job of bringing in veteran offensive linemen that have proven themselves in this league along with a young player with plenty of talent.
The team is certainly hoping that promising things will happen this season with this new-look offensive line, which could dictate a decent portion of the offense’s success. They certainly have the pieces to make it come to fruition.
Now it falls in the coaching staff’s hands to put them in the best position to succeed and the players themselves to ensure that they can stay go through the entire season injury-free.
