All articles tagged with #left guard
San Francisco heads into the Chargers game still sorting the left guard job (Jones, Colby, Willis), evaluating safety depth, and determining WR depth behind Deebo Samuel and Demarcus Robinson ahead of cutdown day.
The Chargersâ preseason opener against the Texans will reveal how the roster shakes out: a tight backup QB competition between DJ Uiagalelei and Trey Lance, with both likely to see action; a left guard battle in which Jake Slaughter, Kayode Awosika, and Branson Taylor will compete for the slot (Slaterâs knee issue opening the door); and ongoing battles for cornerback depth and a potential fifth edge rusher (Kennard vs. Nadame Tucker) as teams trim to 53 players.
Day 8 of 49ers training camp centers on injuries and Kyle Shanahanâs gradual return, with a tight left guard battle between Connor Colby and Robert Jones (Carver Willisâ concussion compounds uncertainty); Jack Jones is making daily big plays at cornerback to bolster the secondary, and Demarcus Robinson is cementing a near-locked roster spot as San Francisco rotates receivers after Ricky Pearsallâs season-ending injury, with Deebo Samuel, Christian Kirk, and Jacob Cowing in the mix.
San Francisco's training camp is tightening the competition for the starting left guard, with Connor Colby initially in the lead but veteran Robert Jones running with the first team after Wednesday's practice; injuries to Carver Willis and Brett Toth limited movement, and coach Chris Foerster planned more interior testing to evaluate Colby against different defenders, so Jones and Colby remain the top contenders with more entrants possible when Willis and Toth return.
With pads for the first time, the Chargers will watch four storylines: the left guard battle among Awosika, Slaughter, Penning, Pipkins and Taylor; Akheem Mesidorâs performance in padded drills; how Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt fare coming back from injuries; and how McDanielâs run game challenges Chris OâLearyâs defense as camp intensifies.
At Chargers training camp, the left guard job is wide open after four practices, with five playersâKayode Awosika, Jake Slaughter, Trevor Penning, Trey Pipkins III and Branson Taylorâworking with the first team. The rest of the O-line is set (Slater at left tackle, Biadasz at center, Strange at right guard, Alt at right tackle). Coach Mike McDaniel says theyâre keeping the competition open until live, padded reps begin, with a decision expected after roughly 10â13 more practices ahead of a Aug. 18 joint practice with the 49ers and Aug. 20 preseason game. Slaughter has moved from center to guard, Penning is better suited inside at guard, and Awosika and Pipkins bring NFL experience and versatility to the battle.
Washington Commanders OTAs reveal a developing competition for left guard between veteran Chris Paul and 2024 pick Brandon Coleman. Paul remains the frontrunner, but Coleman earned starting reps, signaling a summer battle as the coaching staff seeks urgency and improvement, with the best player likely to win the job beside Laremy Tunsil.
Detroit opens a three-week OTAs window, the first field work open to media for 2026, with six key storylines: updates on Kerby Josephâs knee and rehab for Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta (plus other injuries to Brock Wright, Levi Onwuzurike, and Dan Jackson); a full look at the seven 2026 draft picks and undrafted rookies; a left guard battle among Christian Mahogany, Miles Frazier, Ben Bartch, and Juice Scruggs; development emphasis on the 2024 and 2025 draft classes; and preliminary notes on schematic changes on offense under Drew Petzing and defense under Kelvin Sheppard, plus any noticeable changes to practice tempo or structure.
With the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft, the Chargers reportedly prefer to trade down to add more selections, but a viable partner is unlikely; their top needs are left guard and edge rusher, so theyâre eyeing interior offensive-line depth (Ioane, Bisontis, Pregnon, Rutledge, Dunker) or a mobile tackle who could kick inside, while potential moves by teams like the Cardinals to jump up for a quarterback could influence the boardâif no trade materializes, sticking at 22 remains the most likely scenario.
Los Angeles Chargers enter the 2026 NFL Draft with five selections (Nos. 22, 55, 86, 123, 204) and a final 100-prospect big board focused on upgrading left guard and edge rusher. The piece outlines potential fits across Day 1â3, including players who could slide from tackle to guard and other interior/edge options, while weighing medicals and scheme fit for McDanielâs offense.
With the draft near, the Chargersâ No. 22 pick would likely be used to address left guard rather than lock in a pure tackle, unless the prospect can move inside to guard for McDanielâs outside-zone scheme. Slater and Alt are expected to return, so the focus is depth at guard and tackle insurance; potential guard targets include Olaivavega Ioane, Chase Bisontis, Emmanuel Pregnon, Keylan Rutledge and Gennings Dunker. Trading Johnston for Day-3 picks doesnât make sense given his cheap contract and upside, though the team will weigh the fifth-year option before May 1. If they donât add an edge rusher in the draft, post-draft veteran options (Clowney, Jordan, Floyd, Miller) could surface as targets.
With the NFL Draft a month away, the Bills still must answer key roster questionsâmost pressingly, who will start at left guard to replace David Edwards, and how Maxwell Hairston and inside linebacker Terrel Bernard fit in Jim Leonhardâs 3-4 defense, along with other depth considerations.
In Mock 2.0, the Chargers aim to land plug-and-play left guard Vega Ioane at 22 to replace Zion Johnson, with later picks adding edge depth (Gabe Jacas), cornerback (Chandler Rivers), a burner wideout (Brenen Thompson) and a potential interior DL (Landon Robinson) to complete the roster after free agency.
With Mike Evans and Vederian Lowe additions, the 49ers are weighing Elgton Jenkins from the Packers to solidify left guard. Jenkins would pair with Trent Williams and bring durability and strong pass protection, but injury history and run-blocking variability pose questions; any move depends on contract and fit within San Francisco's gap-heavy scheme as they continue free agency and the draft.
Landon Dickerson, the left guard for the Philadelphia Eagles, has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the team, despite not being a pending free agent. The second-round pick from the 2021 draft has been a key player, starting 46 games in the last three seasons and earning Pro Bowl honors in the last two seasons.