With offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returning from injuries, and center Tyler Biadasz and right guard Cole Strange locking down their respective positions, the spotlight has shifted entirely to the vacant left guard role.
With the second week of Chargers OTAs underway, Kayode Awosika has taken the early lead for the starting left guard spot. Signed this past offseason, Awosika logged over 600 snaps at left guard and nearly 400 at right guard with the Lions.
While some initially penciled in second-round pick Jake Slaughter as the front-runner, the coaching staff is easing the former Florida product into the position after exclusively playing center in college. Slaughter, who has not played guard since high school, spent the first week handling second-team reps. Meanwhile, Trevor Penning has primarily worked with the third-string unit and cross-trained at right guard.
Though Awosika currently has the upper hand, this multi-man battle is far from settled. Expect the intensity to ramp up significantly when the pads come on during training camp, where Awosika, Slaughter and Penning will push each other for the final starting nod.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers left guard battle: Who has the very early upper hand?
Reporting by Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire / Chargers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire | USA TODAY Network
