Chargers Sign UDFA Swiss Army Knife Offensive Lineman

The Los Angeles Chargers Offensive Line has been infamous throughout the team’s long history. The last time this team saw an offensive line that finished in the top ten of both pass blocking and run blocking was in 2007. 17 years ago. This trend is very likely to come to an end in 2024, under coach Jim Harbaugh.

One of the most underrated pieces of the offensive line coming together will be the depth behind this very strong starting five. Harbaugh specifically got one of his guys as a UDFA to come in and become what could be the most underrated and valuable depth piece on the entire team. Meet the Swiss Army Knife offensive lineman, Karsen Barnhart.

Karsen Barnhart – Background and Michigan Career

Karsen Barnhart was born and raised in Paw Paw Michigan, playing as a multisport athlete at Paw Paw High School. He played both tight end and offensive line in high school, earning himself the four-star recruit status, and being the number five recruit in all of Michigan according to 247Sports. The 6’4 athlete eventually committed to play with Coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, staying close to home.

As a product of being a multisport athlete, he showed early on that he could do it all, whether it was being an athlete on the baseball field or moving positions all over the football field. This has not stopped, as going into his college career as an offensive tackle, he ended up having to play much more than just that.

Going into 2019, as a true freshman, Karsen Barnhart played sparingly at left tackle, posting impressive grades (84.7 overall) in his minimal time on the field. During the COVID-19-filled season of 2020, Barnhart played 260 snaps at left tackle, while also playing 16 snaps at right tackle, showing for the first time in-game that he can play both sides. This trend continues into 2021 when he plays two more positions than what he has played before while at Michigan. He logged snaps at left tackle, left guard, and right guard.

For Barnhart’s last two seasons at Michigan, he played the majority at right tackle, while still logging snaps at left guard, right guard, and right tackle. His final snap count tally at each position is as follows:

• Left Tackle: 548
• Left Guard: 174
• Right Guard: 219
• Right Tackle: 1,083

The true versatility Karsen Barnhart possesses is a major reason why coaches and scouts viewed him as a priority pick-up after the 2024 NFL Draft.

Path to the Roster & Impact

As one of Nate Gosney’s “My Guys” of the 2024 NFL Draft, Karsen Barnhart was said to be a fit in the Los Angeles Chargers offensive line room. This connection is obvious with coach Jim Harbaugh, but also the consideration that the Chargers truly value versatility. A few weeks later, Barnhart was picked up as an undrafted free agent signee for the Bolts. The cherry on top of getting Barnhart as an undrafted free agent is that he posted a very impressive 9.31 RAS score. His main competition to make the roster are fellow versatile offensive linemen, Jordan McFadden, Brenden Jaimes, and the tackle-only option of Foster Sarell. However, the versatility, athleticism, and coaching familiarity should give Barnhart an easy path to making the Chargers 53-man roster.

Under the assumption that he makes this roster, he will likely serve as the aforementioned “Swiss Army Knife” offensive lineman of the group. The current Chargers offensive line consists of six potential starters, after the selection of Joe Alt. This will lead to some confusion in the room, but one constant will be that Barnhart can and will serve as an intriguing depth option that can slide in anywhere across the Chargers offensive line. This is extremely valuable as the Chargers know how difficult it is to compete when one of your starting offensive linemen goes down, and your backup simply cannot compete. Just think back to Sam Tevi, Trent Scott, Storm Norton, Foster Sarell, and so on and so forth. Karsen Barnhart can be a long-term option to remedy the issue that has infected the Chargers offensive line for so long.