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The Los Angeles Chargers selected Florida’s Jake Slaughter in the second round with the 63rd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Slaughter, a three-year starter for the Gators and a two-time All-American, was a finalist for the 2025 Rimington Trophy, which goes to college football’s top center. The Chargers announced him as a guard at the draft.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Slaughter ranked No. 89 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Slaughter has a passion for football — and it shows in his on-field execution. He drives his feet in the run game to wall off lanes and keep defenders busy. In pass protection, he struggles to sink and adjust in space but has functional lateral movements and strains to finish base blocks. His ability to reset and stay attached combats longer, more powerful opponents.
“Slaughter doesn’t have overwhelming traits, but he consistently does his job using controlled movements, stout strength and veteran processing skills. With his makeup, he should compete for starting center snaps as a rookie.”
How he fits
Slaughter’s clearest path to playing time early in his career will be at left guard. That is where the Chargers have a need. Entering this draft, Trevor Penning was the projected starter at that position. Slaughter was exclusively a center in college, starting 33 games there over his five seasons. So there is some projection required with this pick. Some teams had Slaughter as a center-only prospect. Slaughter practiced at guard at the Senior Bowl and said Friday that he would “absolutely” be comfortable kicking to guard with the Chargers. Slaughter added that he practiced at guard early in his college career at Florida, but he did not get any game action there.
Depth-chart impact
The Chargers signed Tyler Biadasz in free agency to be their starting center. Biadasz is still only 28 years old and is on a three-year contract. In an ideal world, Biadasz will be a multiyear starter in the middle of the offensive line. Slaughter could potentially be a long-term plan at center. But he will have to make a transition to guard to make an immediate impact. The Chargers traded for Penning at the deadline last season. They tried to play Penning at tackle, but that did not work out. It’s clear Penning’s best position is at guard. So Penning and Slaughter will likely battle it out at left guard in training camp. The Chargers also signed guard Kayode Awosika in free agency. Biadasz will start at center, and Cole Strange, whom the Chargers also signed in free agency, will start at right guard. Those are the pieces that will make up the interior between star tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt.
They also could have picked …
There were other guards available at this pick, and also at No. 55 before the Chargers traded down in a deal with the Patriots. They could have taken Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon, Iowa’s Gennings Dunker or Kentucky’s Jalen Farmer. In the end, the Chargers still addressed one of their most pressing needs. They have come out of the first two rounds with a third edge rusher in Akheem Mesidor and a left guard option in Slaughter. Cornerback, interior defensive line and receiver could have been considerations. But those are lesser needs than guard.
Fast evaluation
There is some risk with this selection because of Slaughter’s lack of guard experience. But he has the athleticism that offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel seeks in his offensive linemen. This whole offseason has been a big bet on McDaniel. He was the driving force behind the Strange signing and the primary reason the Chargers were not interested in some of the other free-agent guards available. The Chargers’ belief in McDaniel has been a throughline as they have rebuilt the interior of their offensive line. Slaughter is another piece in that process.
