With the 199th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers selected offensive lineman Branson Taylor out of the University of Pittsburgh.
At 6’6 and 315 pounds, Taylor started at left tackle for the Panthers in 2024 but missed the latter chunk of his senior season with an injury that also took some of his pre-draft process. Per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, a number of scouts believe Taylor’s best place in the NFL would be a transition to the interior. Of course, the Chargers needed to bring in competition for Zion Johnson at the left guard spot and they finally found a prospect they liked in the sixth round.
If the Chargers believe he is truly a tackle at the next level, then he’ll step into a room where he’d compete with Trey Pipkins and several undrafted players as the team’s swing tackle. However, that doesn’t seem like a smart move by this front office so I would almost guarantee a transition to guard is coming.
Per Brugler, Taylor flashes power as a run blocker and has good feet from a basketball background that shows up in his ability to mirror pass rushers. However, he has a tendency to overset and get caught leaning. He has a lot of polish to acquire, but there’s tools here to develop as a depth option up front.