National Football League

What Chargers' Jim Harbaugh must fix to get most out of QB Justin Herbert

Published Mar. 5, 2024 5:40 p.m. ET

Stability along the offensive line leads to chemistry, cohesion and a physically dominant group up front.

The last time the Los Angeles Chargers had an imposing group that used fewer than four different offensive line combinations during a regular season was in 2018. So it's no surprise that's the last time the Chargers made a meaningful postseason run, advancing to the AFC divisional round.

The Chargers lost that game in the freezing cold on the road to the Patriots, who would go on to win Tom Brady's last New England Super Bowl in a historic comeback over the Atlanta Falcons.

That season, the Chargers used just three different offensive line combinations. Center Mike Pouncey served as the line's anchor, playing in every game and earning an invitation to the Pro Bowl.

It will be up to new Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Greg Roman to develop an O-line that can serve as the engine for a balanced offense, creating running lanes and keeping quarterback Justin Herbert upright for a full season.

Physical offensive lines that dominate up front have been a hallmark of Harbaugh's successful offenses at Michigan and Stanford in college, and when Roman and Harbaugh were together in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.

"It's critical," Roman told the team's website when asked about the importance of the offensive line to a team's success. "It's what has to happen first. For the guys running the ball to be successful, the offensive line — and tight ends and receivers — have to block.

"And in order for the passing game to function at a high level, the offensive line has to be really dialed in as a unit. That's so important. Vince Lombardi said that football at its core is a game of blocking and tackling. Our ability to block people is really going to open things up for everyone on offense."

Roman and Harbaugh's first task will be finding a new anchor of L.A.'s line. Last year's starting center, Corey Linsley, played only three games and is expected to retire due to a heart issue.

Along with replacing Linsley, the Chargers likely will be in the market for a right tackle and interior offensive line help to build around Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater. The Chargers used four different offensive line combinations in 2023 and were rated No. 16 by Pro Football Focus. The Chargers also finished No. 18 in ESPN Analytics' pass block win rate and No. 24 in run block win rate.

Are Jim Harbaugh's expectations too high for Herbert and Chargers?

The Bolts could look to the draft for improvement. FOX Sports NFL draft analyst Rob Rang says this is the most talented offensive tackle class he has seen in 20 years of draft evaluation.

The Chargers have the No. 5 overall pick. Certainly, offensive tackles like Notre Dame's Joe Alt, Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga, Alabama's JC Latham and Washington's Troy Fautanu are possible options.

"It's a good depth draft for O-line," new Chargers GM Joe Hortiz told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Top 50 big board | Top 10 QB prospects | Top 10 RB prospects | Top 10 WR prospects | Joel Klatt's mock draft

However, considering how deep the offensive line class is, coupled with teams in need of an answer at quarterback, the Chargers could trade down to accumulate more draft picks and still find a good lineman later in the draft.

The Chargers never moved down in the first round during Tom Telesco's 14 years as the team's general manager. According to FOX Sports Research, the last time the Chargers moved down in the first round of the draft was in 2003 during GM A.J. Smith's tenure (although the Chargers technically traded down in 2004 when they selected Eli Manning No. 1 overall, then traded his rights to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers and picks).

Chargers GM doubles down on goal of multiple titles

Hortiz arrives in Los Angeles after 26 years in the personnel department of the Baltimore Ravens, who have plenty of history of moving down in the first round. According to FOX Sports Research, the Ravens have traded down in the first round seven times since 2004, so Hortiz is familiar with moving down the draft board for more picks while still getting a good player.

Currently, the Chargers have eight picks in April's draft. The last time the Chargers had a top-five pick, they took edge rusher Joey Bosa at No. 3 overall in the 2016 draft.

"You stick to the process of finding the best player," Hortiz said during his introductory press conference about picking at No. 5. "It doesn't matter where you're picking in the draft; it's always important. It doesn't matter if it's the fifth pick or the 32nd, every pick is important to this organization.

"We're going to go through the process and have them stacked and ranked and we're going to pick the best player for the Chargers at five, and then we're going to pick the best player for the Chargers the rest of the draft. Our goal is to pick great players all along the way."

A good place for the Chargers to start is on the offensive line.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.