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The Chargers have drafted a new starting guard in the form of Boston College guard Zion Johnson at No. 17 overall.
Johnson clocks in at 6’2 ⅝” and 314 pounds with 34” arms, which are long enough to play tackle if teams asked him to. Johnson also has experience at left tackle, where he played in stretches as an Eagle.
With a 9.55 RAS score, Johnson has elite testing numbers nearly across the board. The only middling number is the 10-yard split, suggesting a tiny deficiency in getting off the ball at the snap.
Johnson’s best traits come in pass blocking, which will be music to Justin Herbert’s ears, as he has a great anchor, foot speed, and lateral agility. As a run blocker, he is solid, as he plays with good leverage and power at the point of attack. Overall, it is the skillset to be a Day 1 starter.
With Johnson officially a Bolt, Los Angeles could be poised to move Feiler to right tackle, where he played for the Steelers in 2019. PFF had him at his best that season with a grade of 75.9.
Or, the team could be in a position to plug Johnson in as the starting right guard, which was formerly played by Oday Aboushi last season, and keep Feiler at left guard.
That would leave the right tackle spot as a question mark. However, the Chargers may believe Trey Pipkins, who has been working with Duke Manyweather, the best offensive lineman developer this offseason, as the starter.
The bottom line is that both Herbert and Austin Ekeler should be thrilled to welcome Johnson to Los Angeles for years to come.