Trevor Penning
Los Angeles ChargersModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 13 games
Draft & College
Comps
STM Take
First STTM IOL ranking at tier 8 (#88) in his year-four position-switch from tackle to guard puts Penning in the negative draft-slot-vs-outcome class for a 19th overall pick. The Northern Iowa FCS pedigree plus the Saints' inability to develop him at tackle confirmed the original projection was overstated. The 2026 question is whether the position-switch to guard with the Chargers unlocks development or whether the structural tier 8 baseline becomes the realistic ceiling.
Penning came out of Northern Iowa as the New Orleans Saints' 1st-round pick (19th overall) in 2022 as a projected long-term left tackle with rare athletic measurables. He struggled at tackle through three seasons in New Orleans, then was traded to the Chargers in 2025 where he kicked inside to guard. His first STTM IOL appearance comes in 2025 at tier 8 (#88), reflecting the position-switch context plus the rough Saints chapter.
Strengths
- 19th overall pick with rare athletic measurables gives him technical raw material that the position-switch to guard may unlock.
- Position flexibility (tackle and guard) plus four years of NFL development reps gives him basic structural floor.
Concerns
- Three years at LT in New Orleans without producing a tier 5 or better STTM finish at tackle confirms the original 1st-round projection was overstated.
- Tier 8 (#88) first IOL finish in the position-switch year flags the structural ceiling at guard as likely the same tier 7-8 floor.
What to watch: Whether Penning crosses into tier 6 (top 50) in 2026 at his new guard position, or whether the structural tier 8 baseline continues across the position switch.