Tag: Chargers left tackle

Former Georgia Bulldog OL wins Chargers’ game ball

Former Georgia Bulldog Jamaree Salyer stepped up in his first career start.

Los Angeles Chargers left tackle Jamaree Salyer received a game ball from head coach Brandon Staley for his Week 4 performance against the Houston Texans. Los Angeles won, 34-24, on the road.

Jamaree Salyer made his first career NFL start and helped the Chargers allow only one sack against the Texans. Additionally, Los Angeles totaled 419 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.

Salyer, a rookie out of the University of Georgia, was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Salyer started at left tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs throughout the 2020 and 2021 college football seasons. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound offensive lineman allowed only two hurries and no sacks during his final season with Georgia.

Salyer primarily practiced at offensive guard for the Chargers, but that changed after star left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a torn biceps in Week 3 against the Jaguars. Slater is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 NFL season.

The rookie stepped up for Los Angeles on the road, where it is tougher for offensive linemen to play well. The Chargers are 2-2.

The Houston Texans entered the contest already having 10 sacks this year. The Chargers had to protect banged up quarterback Justin Herbert, who is dealing with a ribs injury. Salyer is a big reason the Chargers were able to win.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=none image=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[listicle id=79162]

Georgia rookie named starting left tackle for Los Angles Chargers

Former Georgia Bulldog Jamaree Salyer is slated to be the Los Angeles Chargers’ starting left tackle after an injury

Former Georgia Bulldog Jamaree Salyer is slated to be the Los Angeles Chargers’ starting left tackle in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. Salyer was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Salyer started at left tackle for the University of Georgia during 20 games throughout the 2020 and 2021 college football seasons. Salyer has primarily practiced at offensive guard for the Chargers, but that changed after star left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a torn biceps in Week 3 against the Jaguars. Slater is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 NFL season.

Now, Salyer has a chance to play left tackle in the NFL. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound offensive lineman allowed only two hurries and no sacks during his final season with Georgia.

In the national championship game Georgia moved Salyer to offensive guard to give the Dawgs more push on the interior in the running game. Georgia put Broderick Jones at left tackle.

The Houston Texans already have 10 sacks this year. The Texans have a good, but not spectacular pass rush, so Jamaree Salyer and company will be tested in Week 4.

The Chargers must protect banged up quarterback Justin Herbert, who is dealing with a ribs injury.

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper broke the news on Salyer.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=none image=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rookie Jamaree Salyer named Chargers’ new starting left tackle

The Chargers are rolling with the rookie at left tackle.

In the wake of Rashawn Slater’s season ending, the Chargers are rolling with rookie Jamaree Salyer as the team’s new starting left tackle.

Head coach Brandon Staley made the announcement before practice on Wednesday, adding that the plan is to work rookie Salyer into that position this week.

“Jamaree has earned this opportunity…we’re excited about this,” Staley said.

The decision to start Salyer means that Trey Pipkins will stay at right tackle, and Storm Norton will return to being the swing tackle.

Selected in the sixth round of this year’s draft out of Georgia, Salyer played 47 games, starting in 23 with 20 at left tackle, two at right tackle, and one at left guard.

Salyer had the lowest pressure rate allowed out of any tackle in the country in 2021 and allowed just one sack throughout his career against top-tier competition.

Los Angeles selected Salyer intending to make him a mainstay at guard, but he could play tackle in a pinch, given his ability to play the position at a high level in college.

“Pretty comfortable,” Salyer said on playing left tackle. “Obviously, I didn’t take a lot of reps there in training camp and up to this point, but it kind of feels like going back home to me. Doing the walk-throughs, kind of getting in the swing of things.”

Chargers preparing for life without Rashawn Slater vs. Chiefs

The Chargers could be without the rookie sensation against the Chiefs.

The Chargers could be without rookie sensation Rashawn Slater when they take on the Chiefs on Thursday night.

Slater tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, putting his availability in doubt.

Despite there being a chance of him still playing if he posts two negative tests 24 hours apart, Los Angeles is preparing for the worst-case scenario.

If Slater is ruled out, the Bolts will start third-year Trey Pipkins at left tackle.

At the team’s walkthrough on Tuesday, Pipkins lined up with the first team, Joe Lombardi said at media availability.

Pipkins has made eight starts, with five of them coming last season. He allowed 15 pressures, six quarterback hits, and four sacks in the four games at left tackle.

Brandon Staley was asked about the possibility of Matt Feiler or Brenden Jaimes playing left tackle.

Staley tabbed Feiler to left tackle as an option, but not the primary option, while Jaimes filling in as the blindside blocker would be an emergency option.

What scouts said about Chargers OT Rashawn Slater ahead of NFL draft

Find out how those around the NFL felt about the Chargers’ newest left tackle coming out of college.

Prior to the NFL draft, there were nothing but great things to say about Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater.

Rather than circling back to what the media thought of the new Chargers left tackle, how did NFL evaluators feel about Slater?

The Athletic’s Bob McGinn spoke with a few scouts ahead of the draft to get their opinions on Slater.

The first one was in awe with his testing numbers at his pro day, where he had a 33-inch vertical, 9-foot-4 broad jump and ran a 4.91 40 with an insane 1.68-second 10-yard split.

His pro day workout was unbelievable. Just extremely quick, extremely powerful.

Given the fact that he’s 6-foot-4 and 304 pounds, many thought he would have to kick inside as soon as he got to the NFL. But his play on the edges says otherwise.

The underwhelming thing about him is his size and the way he looks. He’s built more like an inside player than a tackle, but he is really good. I hardly have any negatives. He’s athletic, strong for his size, super smart. He’s a technician. I thought he could play all five positions.

The third scout felt the same way as the second scout.

He’s only got 33-inch arms. Therefore, that will lead some people to say, ‘OK, he’s only a guard.’ In the NFL today, (tackles) have to have 34-inch arms. That inch may make a difference, but I still think he can play tackle. He has wonderful athletic skills, balance and control in his play.

The bottom line is that Slater is a menace up front. He is technically sound with his upper and lower body, very intelligent, physical and consistent which shows both in the pass- and run-blocking department.

While there were concerns with his lack of height and arm length which had many plugging him as a guard, the tape shows a guy who can get the job done on each snap at tackle, which is what he will be from Day 1.

Is OT Christian Darrisaw poised to be Chargers’ first-round pick?

The Los Angeles Chargers could elect to roll with the most NFL-ready left tackle.

The Chargers have a glaring need at the left tackle position that had not been addressed in free agency, which likely indicates that they have their eyes set on fulfilling it in this year’s draft.

Equipped with the No. 13 overall selection, Los Angeles could go a variety of ways, but their best bet is to get quarterback Justin Herbert’s long-term blindside blocker.

Should the team choose to go that route, the one player who could be sitting atop of their draft board is former Virginia Tech OT Christian Darrisaw.

As a freshman for the Hokies, Darrisaw shined at left tackle, earning Freshman All-American honors.

Establishing himself as one of the top offensive linemen in the ACC in 2019, he started all 13 games and while he was eligible to enter the draft, he stayed, where he cemented himself as one of the best lineman in the nation.

Throughout the 11 games in 2020, Darrisaw only allowed six pressures and no sacks, finishing with a 95.6 overall grade by Pro Football Focus and earning second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-ACC accolades.

On the field, the 6-foot-5 and 314 pounder is smooth in pass pro, showing anchor ability, strength, body control, proper hand technique and awareness to shut down a variety of pass rushers.

In the run game, he flashes strength to move defenders. He shows solid ability to reach and has the athletic traits and movement skills when getting to the second level to pave the way for ball carriers.

Now, there are times when it looks like he may be in cruise control a little bit, lacking overall quickness and a sense of urgency, both things that he will need to get a sense for at the next level.

Now, what might put Darrisaw ahead of other guys who should be in consideration like Rashawn Slater or Alijah Vera-Tucker? Experience and a skillset tailor-made for the position.

I personally have Slater and Vera-Tucker ahead of Darrisaw in my latest offensive tackle rankings. However, there’s no guarantee that the league, let alone the Chargers, believe they are left tackles at the next level.

The tape indicates that both can play tackle at a high level in the NFL, but they could fall short of the arm length threshold in the eyes of the team, which could resort them to being kicked inside.

L.A. could be concerned because we all know how that turned out when they experimented with D.J. Fluker (2013) and Forrest Lamp (2017).

While Darrisaw isn’t my first preference, his excellent ability in pass protection, physicality in the run game, size and length and overall experience at the position give him All-Pro potential.

Updating Chargers’ competition for starting left tackle spot

Who will be the starting left tackle for the Los Angeles Chargers?

Who will be the starting left tackle for the Chargers in Week 1 of the 2020 season? All signs are pointing to Sam Tevi protecting Tyrod Taylor’s blindside.

Tevi, at the moment, is the front-runner for the starting job. Head coach Anthony Lynn said this week that Tevi is the “starter” for now and is in the “driver’s seat” at that spot.

In practice, Tevi has been primarily been working with the first-time. Meanwhile, his competition – Trey Pipkins, the team’s third-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft – has been with the second-team offense.

Heading into camp, it appeared that Pipkins was going to be the one to beat. But the coaching staff seems to covet Tevi’s experience in the starting role, the hope is that new offensive line coach James Campen will help with the young player’s development.

Campen has a track record of developing draft picks into standout players, including turning Bryan Bulaga into one of the more consistent right tackles in football and also developing David Bakhtiari into a fourth-round pick, into a first-team All-Pro.

Tevi is the front-runner, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be the Week 1 starter, given the amount of reps he’s been receiving with the 1’s. But anything can happen between now and then.

“There’s a job requirement for the Los Angeles Chargers, and it’s left tackle,” Campen said. “Someone is going to fill that requirement. And it’s up to us to try to find that person.”

Chargers’ Sam Tevi ‘in driver seat’ to start at left tackle

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn covets the experience of Sam Tevi.

The battle for the starting left tackle spot is one of the most compelling position competitions for the Chargers this training camp.

After Los Angeles split ways with Russell Okung, the team chose to not find his replacement this offseason.

Instead, they decided to roll with their in-house options, leaving a competition between Sam Tevi, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton and Trent Scott.

At the moment, Tevi appears to be the player with the leg up.

According to head coach Anthony Lynn, Tevi is “in the driver’s seat,” at the position.

Tevi, the sixth-round pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, started at right tackle the past couple of seasons. But he also has a game at left tackle under his belt, which came back during his rookie season.

“Sam’s been in the system,” Lynn said. “He’s played both sides for us. He’s played more.”

Tevi’s competition, Pipkins – the team’s third-round pick of last year’s draft – has been pegged as the projected starter by some. But Lynn prefers the experience of Tevi.

Pipkins started three games at left tackle in 2019 while Okung missed some live game action. While the former Division II product may have been thrown into the fire a bit early, Lynn still likes what he saw from a small sample size.

“When Trey came in last year, I didn’t think it was too big for him,” explained Lynn. “I liked the look he had in the Oakland game. I thought he held his own. So, I am expecting Trey to compete as well.”

Another player who was thought to be in the competition for the starting left tackle spot was Forrest Lamp. Lamp played tackle in college, but he made the transition to guard since arriving to the NFL. The only issue is that he has struggled to stay healthy.

Based on Lynn’s remarks, he isn’t ready to throw him into the mix.

“We gotta make sure Forrest can compete at one spot before we start trying to teach him two spots,” Lynn said. “I know he played left tackle in college (at Western Kentucky), but that’s college. (It is) a little different game up here. I’m not saying that he can’t do it, but I like Forrest inside before he got hurt a few years ago. No doubt, he can be a starting guard in this league.”

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Tevi enter Week 1 as the starting left tackle. But it will be interesting to witness how the competition unfolds throughout the remainder of training camp.