The Los Angeles Chargers still don’t have a starting left guard, and that’s becoming the point. Ten-plus practices into training camp, the job remains a genuine three-way tie — and the name generating the most buzz belongs to a player almost nobody projected into the mix back in June.
Branson Taylor, a sixth-round pick out of Pittsburgh in 2025 who didn’t make last year’s 53-man roster, has taken first-team reps at left guard repeatedly throughout camp. According to the Chargers’ own unofficial depth chart released this week, Taylor is listed alongside Kayode Awosika and Jake Slaughter as co-starters at the position — an admission from the team that nothing has been settled.
A battle that keeps refusing to resolve
The competition opened with more traditional favorites. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said in camp’s early days that Awosika, Slaughter, Trevor Penning and Trey Pipkins III would likely be the “main candidates” to start, according to the Chargers’ team site. Taylor wasn’t part of that original conversation.
That changed fast. By the first fully padded practice on August 6, Taylor lined up with the starters at left guard for what multiple camp reporters tracked as his third start at the position in the competition’s first eight practices — tying Awosika’s total, per SI’s Chargers coverage. Reporter Tyler Schoon posted the tally directly on X: “Branson Taylor with (potentially) his third start at left guard the past eight practices, which ties Kayode Awosika.” — https://x.com/tylerjschoon
The rotation has kept shifting since. The Chargers’ own training camp report from Day 9 described Slaughter, Awosika and Taylor all taking reps at left guard in the same practice, with Taylor even sliding out to left tackle when Rashawn Slater sat out.
Harbaugh has noticed
Head coach Jim Harbaugh has been the most vocal about Taylor’s jump in conditioning and consistency. “It’s been a really incredible offseason that he’s made,” Harbaugh said, per the Chargers’ team site. “In the training environment, saw it there first. Then on the field in OTAs and minicamp and it’s carried into training camp.”
Right tackle Joe Alt has echoed that, praising Taylor’s approach to practice after a recent session, according to Yahoo Sports.
None of that means the job is decided. Awosika, now in his fifth NFL season after signing with the Chargers in March, still has more experience at the position than Taylor, who has played all of one regular-season snap package in the league. Harbaugh has said he wants to see roughly ten more practices before naming a starter, and McDaniel has been careful not to crown anyone off unpadded work.
| Player | NFL Experience | 2026 Camp Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kayode Awosika | 5th season | Co-starter, LG |
| Branson Taylor | 2nd season | Co-starter, LG |
| Jake Slaughter | 2nd season | Co-starter, LG; also backup C |
| Trevor Penning | 4th season | Rotational, LG/RG |
Why it matters for the offense
This isn’t a cosmetic battle. The Chargers’ offensive line was in disarray for stretches of 2025, and a settled left guard spot next to left tackle Slater matters directly to how much time Justin Herbert gets in the pocket. McDaniel’s zone-blocking scheme also leans on guards who can pull and reach the second level — a trait that would favor a more mobile, in-shape version of Taylor over a purely power-based blocker.
If Taylor holds his spot into the regular season, it also reshapes the rest of the offensive line room. Penning and Pipkins remain in the mix as versatile depth, and Slaughter’s ability to also play center gives Los Angeles more flexibility if Taylor or Awosika wins the job outright.
The Chargers play their first preseason game within the next two weeks, which is likely to be the next real proving ground. Harbaugh’s stated preference is to let the competition play out on the field rather than settle it in practice — meaning Taylor’s next test comes in front of an opponent, not just his own teammates.
