Chargers land Penn State OG Vega Ioane in Field Yates’ newest mock draft

With every game that the Chargers play, the more and more pressing the need becomes to find real answers to the underwhelming interior protection for Justin Herbert.

Mekhi Becton has been — in a word — underwhelming. Monday night’s win against the Eagles was one of the worst games of his career and to put a number on that, his pass block grade from Pro Football Focus was 13.7.

That is not a typo. PFF’s grading system has 60.0 considered “average” amongst NFL players. It’s almost impressive that someone was so bad at pas protecting that they were that close to zero on their scale. The writing is on the wall here and that is Becton’s not likely to be playing in powder blue next year. That means the Chargers could very well need to find two starters, at minimum along the interior three spots.

It’s a pretty good offensive guard class at the top this year and one name you’re likely to hear early and often over the next few months is Penn State’s Vega Ioane. Ioane has already been mocked to the Chargers at one point or another this season and ESPN’s Field Yates is also seemingly on the train that Ioane would be one heck of a pickup for the Chargers in this year’s draft.

“The Chargers’ offensive line issues have been headlined by injuries to tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, but their healthy interior has also been disappointing,“ says Yates. ‘‘Ioane is my No. 1 guard in this class, as he would help any offensive line get tougher and more physical. He uses his excellent strength to dominate in the running game and he’s also a standout pass protector. Over the past two seasons, Ioane has not allowed a single sack. This season, he has given up just two pressures. Penn State’s offensive scheme also highlighted his ability to get out and play in space, which only strengthens his draft outlook.”

The 6’4, 328-pound blocker is a force up front who plays with rock-steady fundamentals reinforced by massive size and strength. is skillset should suit him well across all offenses, but he’s likely best used in gap schemes where he can clear out space and plow lanes open for his backs.

As a pass protector, he shows a patience that keeps him ready for whatever pass rushers want to throw at him. He knows when to punish jumpers looking for a deflection, as well.

While Penn State has not been a great team this year, Ioane was a major reason why their ground game helped lead them to a spot in the College Football Playoff a season ago.

Thoughts on this one? Yay or nay to guard in the first round? Let me know below.