- The offensive line could transform the offense: Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are expected back in 2026, while Tyler Biadasz provides a significant upgrade at center after earning a 70.8 PFF grade last season.
- Justin Herbert should face less pressure: Herbert was pressured on an NFL-high 288 dropbacks across the 2025 regular season and playoffs but earned a 91.0 PFF grade when kept clean.
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There was plenty to like about the Los Angeles Chargers’ 2025 season, with an 11-6 record earning them the No. 7 seed in the AFC. Things didn’t go their way in the postseason, though, as they suffered a 16-3 road loss to the New England Patriots in the wild-card round.
Expectations will be high again in 2026, but the Chargers remain in one of the toughest divisions in football, meaning their path back to the playoffs will be far from straightforward.
Here’s our 2026 preview of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Key Free Agency/Trade Additions
| Position | Player | 2025 PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|
| C | Tyler Biadasz | 70.8 |
| G | Cole Strange | 54.9 |
| G | Kayode Awosika | 57.9 |
| TE | David Njoku | 55.9 |
| TE | Charlie Kolar | 77.5 |
| HB | Keaton Mitchell | 57.5 |
| FB | Alec Ingold | 50.1 |
| DI | Dalvin Tomlinson | 43.2 |
Center was a major weakness for the Chargers in 2025, with Bradley Bozeman’s PFF grade ranking 40th among the 40 centers who played at least 300 snaps. The addition of Tyler Biadasz should provide a significant upgrade, as his 70.8 PFF grade ranked tied for 10th at the position last season.
Cole Strange represents a more modest upgrade at guard. His 54.9 PFF grade ranked 58th among the 81 guards who played at least 300 snaps last year, but that was still significantly better than what the Chargers received from Mekhi Becton. Becton’s 35.7 PFF grade ranked 79th among guards in 2025.
2026 NFL Draft Class
| Position | Player | 2025 PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|
| EDGE | Akheem Mesidor | 92.5 |
| G | Jake Slaughter | 79.3 |
| WR | Brenen Thompson | 79.0 |
| OT | Travis Burke | 84.5 |
| S | Genesis Smith | 80.0 |
| DI | Nick Barrett | 76.2 |
| G | Logan Taylor | 70.8 |
| G | Alex Harkey | 64.8 |
Already 25 years old, edge defender Akheem Mesidor is older than the typical first-round pick, but he brings an NFL-ready skill set to the Chargers’ defense. He has the size to hold up against the run and was one of the best run defenders in college football last season, earning an 88.3 PFF run-defense grade. He also produced as a pass rusher, generating 67 pressures across 445 pass-rushing snaps, with 17 resulting in sacks or quarterback hits.
On offense, Jake Slaughter looks capable of stepping straight into the starting lineup at left guard. Primarily a center at Florida, he earned PFF grades above 80.0 both as a run blocker and in pass protection in each of his final two seasons. Slaughter allowed just four pressures across 421 pass-blocking snaps last year and has the potential to immediately replace the departed Zion Johnson.
Reasons for optimism
The Chargers got just 312 snaps from Joe Alt last season, with the offensive tackle having already moved from the right side to the left to replace Rashawn Slater, who missed the entire year. Both are expected to return to the starting lineup in 2026, giving Los Angeles what could be the best tackle duo in football. In 2024, Slater’s 91.1 PFF grade ranked second among tackles, while Alt earned a 77.6 mark that ranked 20th as a rookie.
Their return should provide a significant boost to the passing game. Justin Herbert faced pressure on 288 dropbacks across the regular season and playoffs last year, the most of any quarterback in the NFL. He earned a 91.0 PFF grade when kept clean, tied for fifth at the position, compared with a 53.1 grade under pressure that ranked 17th.
Herbert wasn’t necessarily a disaster under pressure, but the sheer volume he faced was crippling for the offense. With Slater and Alt returning alongside the other improvements up front, the Chargers’ offense has a much higher ceiling in 2026.
Reason for pessimism
Former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is now the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, with Chris O’Leary taking over the Chargers’ defense. O’Leary is highly regarded after an impressive 2025 season at Western Michigan, and the scheme should remain largely similar, but replacing Minter still introduces some uncertainty.
The Chargers also lost Odafe Oweh, who led the team with an 81.0 PFF pass-rush grade during his stint in Los Angeles after arriving from Baltimore via trade. Between Oweh’s departure and the transition from Minter to O’Leary, there is reason for some caution with this defense heading into 2026, even if there isn’t necessarily reason for pessimism.
Breakout Candidate
Tight end Charlie Kolar is coming off a career-high 77.5 PFF grade and has the skill set to be a complete player in the Chargers’ offense. He is unlikely to lead the team’s tight ends in targets, but his 1.70 yards per route run shows that he can still contribute as a receiver.
Kolar’s biggest strength, though, is his blocking. His 71.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranked 10th among tight ends in 2025, giving the Chargers an effective in-line option who can provide a boost to the running game.
Key roster battles
Omarion Hampton is established as the Chargers’ top running back, but who finishes second on the team in carries remains to be seen. Kimani Vidal was solid when called upon last season, earning a 75.4 PFF rushing grade and averaging 4.1 yards per carry, with 2.9 of those yards coming after contact.
The Chargers also added Keaton Mitchell in free agency, and while injuries have limited him in recent years, he has already demonstrated significant big-play ability in the NFL. Of his 121 carries across the regular season and playoffs, 13 have gained at least 15 yards. As a rookie in 2023, he also had a six-game stretch in which he produced at least one run of 20-plus yards in every game.
With an improved group of blockers and Mike McDaniel taking over as offensive coordinator, the environment for the Chargers’ running backs looks much more favorable. That should make the battle between Vidal and Mitchell for carries behind Hampton one of the more intriguing competitions to watch this summer.
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