Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Los Angeles Chargers have a problem with their offensive line.
In their first game against the Arizona Cardinals, Justin Herbert took three sacks, while the run game produced just 3.9 yards per carry with a 42.9 percent success rate.
That came while the Chargers rotated Kayode Awosika and Trey Pipkins III at left guard throughout the game.
Rotating offensive linemen can signal two different issues. First, neither player has proven himself good enough to take control of the job. Second, the rotation opens the offense up to potential communication issues during the game.
New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel values athleticism and quickness from his offensive linemen, especially at guard. His zone-based scheme requires linemen to get out of their stance quickly and flow laterally while creating running lanes.
That's why the Chargers drafted Jake Slaughter and planned to move him to guard. His athletic profile and experience at center made him a perfect fit to move in space in either direction. But with Slaughter now back at center, backups Awosika and Pipkins have to play.
And they aren't ideal McDaniel-type fits.
Iowa's Kade Pieper is the perfect fit for Mike McDaniel and the Chargers
When I watch Kade Pieper play for Iowa, all I can do is fancast him to the Chargers. Pieper is a classic Iowa interior lineman who is undersized at 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds, but makes up for it with his athleticism.
Iowa also uses a zone-based scheme in its running game, and they find players who fit. That's why Logan Jones was a perfect fit for Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears last April.
Pieper is very athletic with the speed and agility to block at the second level, and he's a physical blocker. But he's not just an asset in the run game.
Pieper is extremely stout as a pass protector. He gets his hands on defenders quickly, keeps his feet moving and has a natural anchor. I actually prefer his pass blocking to his run blocking because his physicality on the move can sometimes lead to him ending up on the ground.
But that physicality is also what will endear him to Jim Harbaugh, while his athletic traits should appeal to McDaniel.
When should the Chargers target Pieper?
My grade on Pieper today is a 75. That's squarely a top-100 player, but leaning closer to round two than round four.
Interior offensive linemen tend to get pushed down in the draft (just ask Emmanuel Pregnon), but Slaughter and Keylan Rutledge went about a round earlier than expected last year.
When it comes to the offensive line, the supply is lower than the demand, and the fit of the player is sometimes more important than the talent. That's why some players can be selected sooner than anticipated when they fit the specific needs of a team.
The Chargers would likely need to use their second-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft on Pieper, and depending on how the 2026 season and draft process play out, maybe even their first pick.
But if Pieper can complete the line, giving Herbert more time to throw and the running game room to develop, it would all be worth it in the end.
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