Chargers OTAs enter final week with heavy offensive-line tinkering and a left-guard competition

The Chargers reached the final week of Organized Team Activity practices on Monday, June 8, holding a brief session in helmets and shorts that lasted just under an hour. The offseason calendar does not slow down for Jim Harbaugh’s staff, either, with three more OTAs on tap this week before the team hosts a three-day mandatory minicamp from June 16-18 at The Bolt.

The clearest on-field storyline was how often the offense rotated its blocking units, a routine that matters because the NFL season begins with strangers learning each other’s timing. Monday’s practice showed “plenty of O-line combinations,” according to Chargers offensive line coach Butch Barry, as the team continued to mix match groups even while several players project as early starters. The plan, as the Chargers described it entering mid-June, has four players in position to begin up front: left tackle Rashawn Slater, center Tyler Biadasz, right guard Cole Strange and right tackle Joe Alt. Slater was not taking every rep at left tackle as he works his way back from a torn patellar tendon, but Biadasz, Strange and Alt were described as locked into their spots.

Where the competition stayed most visible was left guard. Kayode Awosika and rookie second-round pick Jake Slaughter continued to rotate in that spot, with Awosika taking first reps in drills before Slaughter split reps and, at least on Monday, also took reps at center. Barry used the opportunity to emphasize Slaughter’s versatility, saying Slaughter was “learning everything” and doing multiple positions, while calling him sharp, fully engaged and eager to be coached. Barry also spoke positively about Awosika as a more veteran presence who has been “all in” with the group.

Beyond the likely starters, the Chargers also cycled through multiple second-and-third groups. One set featured Trey Pipkins III, Ben Cleveland, Jacob Spomer, Trevor Penning and Branson Taylor, while another look included Travis Burke, Logan Taylor, Spomer, Taylor and Laekin Vakalahi. Barry framed the approach as part of a broader competition mindset during OTAs, saying the Chargers were rolling different players and that “all competitors are welcome.”

The Monday checklist included smaller reminders that the team is still sorting out its identity in the offseason. Cornerback Tarheeb Still debuted a new number, switching from No. 29 earlier in his career to No. 4 during practice. The Chargers noted that Gus Edwards wore No. 4 in 2024, while Harbaugh himself wore No. 4 during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, and the pair shared a moment before practice.

In the backfield, Omarion Hampton was back at practice Monday after working off to the side during recent OTA sessions open to media members. The running back took the lead in individual drills and was up first in team drills as Chargers running backs coach Max McCaffrey talked him up as a fit in multiple styles, saying Hampton “can fit into any scheme.” McCaffrey’s comments also came with a reference point on what Hampton has already shown, citing his rookie production of 545 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, along with 192 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in nine games.

What to watch next is less about any single day’s work and more about the sequence of reps. With minicamp beginning June 16-18, the Chargers have limited time to turn OTA experimentation into cleaner communication, especially at left guard where Awosika and Slaughter remain in active rotation. If the starting interior holds steady, the next step is sharper cohesion across the full line unit, because mixed groups in OTAs are only useful if the pieces can quickly align when the team tightens its depth chart heading into training camp.