Chargers 90-in-90: OG Brenden Jaimes

Brenden Jaimes played his prep football at national powerhouse Lake Travis in Texas where he won a state title as a senior. He went on to start seven games in 2017 as a true freshman at right tackle before moving to the blindside for his final three seasons. Over that span, Jaimes started all 32 of the team’s contests which helped him set the school record for consecutive starts at 40. He was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player on offense during the 2019 season and accepted an invite to that year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Although Jaimes played nothing but tackle for the Cornhuskers, the Chargers viewed him as a guard after selecting him with the 159th-overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Through his first two seasons with the Chargers, Jaimes has participated in 23 games while mainly playing on special teams. In all, he’s played just 23 snaps on offense.

Basic Info

Height: 6’5
Weight: 300
College: Nerbraska
Experience: 2
Years with team: 2

Contract Status

“Brenden Jaimes signed a 4 year, $3,797,780 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including a $317,780 signing bonus, $317,780 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $949,445. In 2023, Jaimes will earn a base salary of $940,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1,019,445 and a dead cap value of $158,890.” - Spotrac.com

The Good

Jaimes came out of Nebraska with a ton of playing experience and seemed like an excellent late-round selection by the Chargers who were still trying to solidify their offensive line following their 7-9 2020 campaign. Despite playing left tackle for the Huskers, Jaimes’ skillset allowed him to make the transition to guard while still giving the Chargers an emergency tackle option in a pinch.

The Bad

Jaimes is an average athlete and I believe that’s been the biggest shortcoming for him as a pro. The Huskers offense was better suited for him as it kept their tackles from often having to protect on an island. Their lack of a pro-style scheme is also a likely reason for his less-than-smooth transition to the pros. Entering his third season, the Chargers are also as stacked as they’ve ever been along the interior which only means a harder path to a roster spot for Jaimes this year.

Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2023?

Jaimes has his work cut out for him this season as it’s not a guarantee that status as a former draft pick will keep him on the active roster. There are some murmurs that Zack Bailey is impressing the coaching staff at guard and that could be a training camp battle to watch for one of the few backup spots along the offensive line. Even so, the addition of Jordan McFadden in this year’s draft — also a fifth-round pick — even further muddies the prospects of Jaimes’ long-term future with the team. In the end, I believe Jaimes ends up on the practice squad to begin the season.