The Chargers have invested heavily into the offensive line in every year under Brandon Staley. In 2021, the Chargers signed Corey Linsley to a 5-year, $62.5M contract, making him the highest paid center in the NFL. They also drafted left tackle Rashawn Slater who became a Second-Team All Pro as a rookie. They signed offensive guard Matt Feiler to a 3-year/$21M contract that year as well. In 2022, the Chargers drafted offensive guard Zion Johnson in the first round of the NFL Draft and drafted Jamaree Salyer in the sixth round with guard/tackle flexibility. This season, they awarded a second contract to Trey Pipkins and drafted Jordan McFadden out of Clemson, another player with guard/tackle flexibility.
Physical Metrics
McFadden measured in at 6’2 1/4 and 303 pounds at the NFL Combine. He has massively long 34” arms, more than enough to hold his own at tackle, though shorter in height than what is typically seen from high profile players at that position. For a guard, McFadden ran the fastest 40 yard dash (4.99) at his position. He tested above average in agility drills with a 7.70 3-cone (76th percentile). He also put up 225 pounds 24 times which is above average. His overall relative athletic score was a 7.71.
Statistics
2019 (LT)
1 Sk | 9 Total Pressures
86.7 RBLK | 77.5 PBLK
2020 (RT)
3 Sk | 16 Total Pressures
67.0 RBLK | 78.7 PBLK
2021 (LT)
1 Sk | 9 Total Pressures
84.9 RBLK | 84.7 PBLK
2022 (LT)
4 Sk | 13 Total Pressures
67.0 RBLK | 78.7 PBLK
Film Analysis
In 2020, Jordan McFadden started all 12 games at right tackle for the 10-2 Clemson tigers that lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the college football playoff. He was named second-team All-ACC as a sophomore. He moved to left tackle the following season starting another 12 games, and last season, was named a team captain while winning the Jacobs Blocking award winner for the ACC’s top offensive lineman. He finished his collegiate career starting nearly 40 games across three seasons, showing his ability to stay on the field.
McFadden projects to play guard, but has never played the position in his college career. He takes great angles as a run blocker and pivots defenders to use his body as a shield. He kept pressures to a minimum, but lacks the functional footwork as a pass protector on the edge. He uses his long arms to to maintain space and stays mirrored to edge rushers. He has the strength to anchor down on power rushers but is not always consistent against bigger power rushers. It could be cause for concern against true nose tackles at the next level, especially since he is more high cut.
McFadden was Dane Brugler’s eighth-ranked guard and was projected as a fourth round pick, so finding him in the fifth round provided draft value for a player with inside-out flexibility. As an athlete, he gets to the second level quickly and showed terrific mobility. He tends to catch defenders in pass protection and there are times on film where he plays over his toes which leads to balance issues and lunging. It ultimately leads to him finding the ground. He is susceptible to being beat with interior counters and playing with help on either side should help ease this issues.
Expectations
McFadden will have a learning curve since he has never played guard in his career. The strength and conditioning team will be tasked with building out his lower body more and improving his drive power. He will play more of a reserve role and could become the primary swing tackle, though the Chargers envision him to play more along the interior. The Chargers are thin at tackle, so he could be asked to take reps at both positions unless they find a viable swing tackle between now and training camp. He should get snaps on the field goal units, but is not projected to play this season.
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