Herbert's massive contract demands strategic savings. Discover how the Chargers plan to find affordable talent, potentially bypassing star guards like Ioane.
For a while now, the consensus thought has been that the Los Angeles Chargers would love to draft Penn State guard Vega Ioane should he be available when they're picking at #22 in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, Ioane has been moving up draft boards by performing well at the NFL Scouting Combine and the Penn State Pro Day. The chances of him being there at #22 seem to grow smaller by the day, but they're not gone yet.
However, the more I think about what the Chargers have done to reshape their offense around Mike McDaniel's vision and philosophy this offseason, the more I think the Chargers wouldn't take Ioane if he were available. I don't think they were ever actually interested. Let me explain...
The give and take
We're coming out a Super Bowl that clearly defined the direction of a whole bunch of NFL franchises. At least temporarily, teams will attempt to find a suitable inexpensive QB to pair with a dominant defense and offensive line.
This is a team-building philosophy as old as time, but it tends to take turns being in vogue along with "Build around a franchise QB". The issue, for the 2026 Chargers, is that they are trapped in the older philosophy.
The NFL salary cap currently sits at about $301M. That is meant to be enough money for a 53-man roster.
Justin Herbert's cap hit over the next three seasons goes from $46.3M to $58.3M to $71.1M in 2028. Even in 2026, he will account for more than 15% of the Chargers total cap allowance (and they have yet to spend their way up to the salary cap).
In short, the Chargers don't have any way to build a Seahawks-like or Patriots-like roster that can save on the cost of a starting QB to bolster the defense and offensive line. Therefore, they need to find other places to save money.
One of those places could very well be at guard. As evidenced by Cole Strange starting the bulk of the Dolphins games last season before being signed by the Chargers this offseason (seemingly as a starter), guards in Mike McDaniel's offense tend to be valued for their athleticism more than their size and strength. Since most NFL teams are looking for the opposite, this opens up an opportunity to save money.
If Mike McDaniel thinks that he can run his offense with a ragtag bunch at guard, as long as the tackles and center and QB are great, the Chargers are probably doing the smart thing in not spending a ton on the position.
Vega's place
I have no doubt that Vega Ioane is going to be a standout guard in the NFL. However, despite his superior athleticism for his size, I think he will quickly learn to rely on his size and strength and technique over that athleticism. That makes him a great fit for most of the league, but potentially a bad one for the Chargers.
So, the next time you see a defensive lineman or edge rusher mocked to the Chargers, save yourself the trouble of scrolling up to see who picked Vega Ioane. The Chargers have to focus their resources somewhere, and they seem to believe they have a scheme that allows them to invest lightly in the guard position.