Cole Strange may have the inside track to start at right guard, but questions remain about whether he’s truly an upgrade over Mekhi Becton. Familiarity helps, but he still has to prove he can consistently protect and elevate the Chargers’ offensive line.
The Chargers didn’t exactly make a splash when they addressed the right guard position this offseason. Instead, they went with familiarity—signing Cole Strange, a former first-round pick who spent last season in Mike McDaniel’s system. Now, based on what Jim Harbaugh said this week, it sounds like this isn’t just a depth move. It’s a plan.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Harbaugh didn’t dance around it at the NFL owners meetings. The expectation, at least right now, is that Strange will be the starting right guard in 2026. Jim Harbaugh made it clear that Strange’s familiarity with the offense matters, pointing to how well he fits what the Chargers want to do schematically.
On the surface, that makes sense. Strange played over 800 snaps at right guard last season in Miami under McDaniel, so he’s not learning on the fly. He knows the terminology, the concepts and the expectations. For a team that gave up 54 sacks last season, continuity and understanding matter.
But here’s the problem—being familiar doesn’t automatically mean being good.
Strange’s performance in 2025 was, at best, inconsistent. He allowed pressure, didn’t grade out particularly well as a pass blocker and didn’t exactly dominate in the run game either. There’s a reason he was available and didn’t command top-tier guard money.
So when you compare him to Mekhi Becton, this isn’t some obvious upgrade.
Yes, Becton struggled. The Chargers moved on after a disappointing season, and his overall play left a lot to be desired. But the question isn’t whether Becton was good—it’s whether Strange is clearly better. And right now, that answer feels murky.
What Harbaugh seems to be betting on is system fit over raw talent. Strange has already shown he can function in McDaniel’s offense, and that likely gives him a leg up over any newcomer. The coaching staff clearly values that familiarity, especially as they try to clean up an offensive line that was a major issue last year.
Still, there’s a difference between “can execute the system” and “can elevate the unit.”
That’s where the skepticism comes in.
The Chargers didn’t aggressively attack the guard market in free agency, and they’re still widely expected to address the position in the draft. That alone tells you everything—you don’t leave the door open like that if you’re fully confident in your starter.
So is it realistic to think Cole Strange is the answer at right guard?
Short term—yes. It’s realistic because the coaching staff clearly believes in him, and the depth chart currently supports it.
Long term—that’s a different conversation.
If Strange plays at an average level and stabilizes the interior, this move will look fine. But if the same issues show up—pressure up the middle, inconsistent run blocking—then the Chargers are right back where they started.
And with a quarterback like Justin Herbert, “fine” isn’t good enough.
At the end of the day, Strange feels more like a placeholder than a solution. He might open the season as the starter, just like Harbaugh hinted. But whether he finishes it that way will depend on one thing—proving he’s actually an upgrade, not just a familiar face.