BREAKING: Los Angeles Chargers sign rival Las Vegas Raiders’ first-round pick to help Justin Herbert.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Chargers revealed that they had signed a former first-round selection from their rival, the Las Vegas Raiders. The trade comes as the Chargers want to improve their offensive line for the upcoming season.
The Los Angeles Chargers are upgrading their offensive line.
The Chargers’ offensive line was a significant issue in 2023. The Chargers picked offensive tackle Joe Alt with their first-round choice in the 2024 NFL Draft, thinking he would help keep quarterback Justin Herbert healthy. They signed another offensive lineman to provide depth before training camp.
Former Las Vegas Raiders OT signed with the Chargers.
“Leatherwood has started 17 of his 21 career games with the Raiders and Bears, as well as with the Cleveland Browns.” Leatherwood, a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by Las Vegas, started all 17 regular-season games for the Raiders as a rookie (four at right tackle, 13 at right guard), helping the club reach the playoffs. He started as right guard in the team’s AFC Wild Card meeting at Cincinnati.
Leatherwood finished his career at the University of Alabama with unanimous first-team All-American accolades in 2020, as well as first-team Southeastern Conference distinction for the second consecutive season. As a senior, he played left tackle on an offensive line that earned the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top offensive line unit.
