The Los Angeles Chargers have officially added more depth to their offensive line, acquiring offensive tackle Austin Deculus from the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2027 seventh-round pick. It’s a low-cost move that signals the Chargers’ urgency to shore up their tackle group after a turbulent preseason. Between Rashawn Slater’s season ending injury and the frankly shocking play of the rest of the tackles on the roster.

The Bolts needed to find an alternative means of secure Tackle okay and it seems that Joe Hortiz and his staff have been able to secure a target of theirs in their search for that viable option. By acquiring Deculus, the Chargers bring in a player with meaningful NFL and SEC starting experience who can compete immediately for swing tackle duties.

Player background

Deculus, 26, offers the Chargers a big-bodied tackle (6’5”, 321 lbs) with plenty of live reps against high-level competition all the way from his days in Batton Rouge to the three stops he has had in the NFL. He may not have broken through yet but he’s an experienced swing tackle with some traits that coaches and scouts covet.

• College (LSU):
  • Four-year starter at right tackle.
  • Member of LSU’s 2019 national championship team and part of the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line.
  • Logged 800+ snaps in multiple seasons, including every snap in the 2020 and 2021 SEC campaigns.
  • …and you guessed it, Jim Harbaugh offered him a scholarship out of high school over a decade ago when he was head coach of the Michigan Wolverines.
• NFL Draft:
  • Selected by the Texans in the 6th round (205th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
  • Profiled as a sturdy right tackle with strength in run blocking and anchor ability, though limited foot speed and lateral agility capped his upside.
• Professional Career (2022–2024):
  • Appeared in 13 games, with one start over three seasons.
  • 2024 usage: 29 offensive snaps and 19 special teams snaps for Houston; allowed no sacks or penalties in limited action.
  • Spent time with the Jets and Saints practice squad before returning to Houston late last season.

How he fits with the Chargers

The Chargers aren’t asking Deculus to be a franchise cornerstone instead his impact on the roster will be one of insurance. They need him to stabilize depth and serve as a reliable fill-in option if called upon should the Chargers suffer any more injury misfortune.

I jumped into the film and let’s just get this out of the way; Deculus is light years ahead of any Tackle the Chargers have rolled out behind the starters this pre-season. He’s strong, agile and looks like he loves the dirty side of the game.

In fact I was blown away at the quality of his tape, all of these highlights are from the first drive of the Texans’ final preseason game against the Detroit Lions a few days ago. There’s a good rule in scouting that if you don’t need to go far into a game for good tape, then that player is going to win you football games.

Strengths:

• Impressive power to keep defenders off of his chest with an ability to drive his legs to maximize push from these positions. He can really dig out a lane off the edge especially if Edge players are trying to set square to play two gaps.
• Austin is durable, with a proven track record of handling heavy snap counts in college and has seemingly always been available since then.
• Decent mass to hold up in short-yardage and run-heavy packages.
• Familiar with multiple blocking schemes, making him adaptable to the Chargers’ system.
• Quick feet to kick step his way out to a decent depth despite his athletic limitations.

Limitations:

• Lacks high-end agility and could struggle against speed rushers on the edge especially given his lack of elite length to make up for it.
• Austin doesn’t look comfortable on down blocks on Zone concepts, he just throws his body at the problem.
• Has yet to prove himself as a consistent NFL starter despite three seasons of exposure.

Conclusion

By flipping a future seventh-rounder, the Chargers have essentially bought an insurance policy at tackle. Austin Deculus isn’t projected to solve the loss of Rashawn Slater or leapfrog Trey Pipkins, but his presence should calm the waters in a suddenly shallow tackle room. If he holds up in pass protection and avoids mistakes, Deculus could prove to be the steadying depth piece the Chargers need during a season where it is desperately needed.

His run blocking is already better than what Pipkins has shown so if they team need to lean into a run-first approach, then Deculus could be a name that fans will need to get familiar with. I think this is an outstanding addition considering the quality of the other names being attached to the Bolts. Chef Hortiz may have done it again!