Five players, one job: Chargers' left guard competition heats up

El SEGUNDO, Calif. -- There is a battle heating up at Chargers training camp. Four practices in, the team has five contenders competing for one starting spot at left guard.

As of Saturday morning, Jim Harbaugh has given reps at the position to Kayode Awosika, Trevor Penning, Jake Slaughter, Trey Pipkins and, most recently, Branson Taylor.

"The way guys are going after it, there's going to be a really fun competition that's just getting underway,” offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said. “But you can't claim a lead player in that race this early in the process, particularly because that's a job of blocking people and we really haven't got to the stage of truly blocking something, which occurs when you have pads on."

Awosika split reps with Slaughter on the first day of camp before sharing the workload with Penning on Day 2. The competition took an unexpected turn on Day 3 when Pipkins entered the mix, and another surprise came Saturday when Taylor took all of the first-team reps at left guard.

McDaniel said Friday that Awosika, Slaughter, Penning and Pipkins were "the core" of the competition, making Taylor's addition an intriguing development.

"We have a lot of flex guys that have the ability to play guard, play tackle,” McDaniel said. “And what you're trying to do is get people ready to win the job. What I mean by that is that I'm very resistant to crowing someone in non-padded practices, especially like blockers. You're trying to get them comfortable so that job competition can really take root."

With the team still practicing without pads, McDaniel, Harbaugh and offensive line coach Butch Barry are focused on evaluating footwork, body positioning and movement rather than physicality.

“I’m not even thinking about that race until we have some live action, competition with pads, to be fair to the players,” McDaniel said. “We’re getting a vision of how they play, but it’s much different when you have 300 pounds of mass on your edge, and a subtle six-inch step determines whether or not you can actually execute that block. All those layers are important in the evaluation process.”

The pads come on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and that's when the coaching staff expects to get a much clearer picture of who has the inside track to start between Rashawn Slater and Tyler Biadasz.

Pipkins' inclusion in the competition could mean one of two things: either the Chargers believe he can truly play anywhere along the offensive line, or they want him to prove his versatility to secure a role.

"With his length and his range from a pass pro perspective, it's very exciting to have someone at that position," McDaniel said about Pipkins. "We think he has the skillset and we're trying to engrain our skillset and fundamentals."

Pipkins was drafted as a left tackle before moving to right tackle, then right guard, and now finds himself competing for the starting left guard job.

Since being hired by the Spanos family, Harbaugh has consistently praised Pipkins.

“Is he one of our five best linemen?” Harbaugh said Saturday of Pipkins. “Yeah, probably. He probably is.”

Slaughter has also been taking snaps at center after grading out as one of college football's top centers last season. Meanwhile, Awosika has been working at both guard spots, though he logged 259 snaps at left guard during his time with Detroit.

Harbaugh said he hopes to have the competition settled in "roughly 10 to 13 more practices," which would likely put the decision sometime after the second preseason game.

So buckle up. There is still one more practice before the pads come on, and with Harbaugh, don't be surprised if another name gets thrown into the competition.

"More to come, especially when the pads come on," Harbaugh said.

Practice notes

• Justin Herbert continued his strong start to training camp, consistently finding his receivers throughout Saturday's practice. One highlight came when Ladd McConkey sold a double move that froze cornerback Deane Leonard. Herbert delivered a deep ball, McConkey laid out to make the catch, then jumped up to fire up the crowd in attendance.
• Undrafted rookie cornerback Avery Smith was one of Saturday's standout performers, recording two impressive pass breakups. On one play, he stayed glued to JaQuae Jackson in one-on-one coverage. Herbert delivered the pass, but Smith reached between Jackson's hands and knocked it away. He also had a strong rep against Tre Harris during 7-on-7 drills.
• Tackle Laekin Vakalahi and receiver Mante Morrow did not practice Saturday.