
As one of the premier guard prospects in the 2026 draft class, Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis has the potential to come off the board in the first two rounds. There is widespread interest in Bisontis, who has scheduled over a dozen visits, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The Chargers, Panthers and Falcons are among the clubs that will host Bisontis.
As a freshman in 2023, Bisontis began his three-year run in College Station as the Aggies’ starting right tackle. He worked at left guard during his last two seasons, in which he allowed a total of two sacks. The 6-foot-5, 315-pounder earned third-team All-SEC honors in 2025.
In ranking Bisontis as the 49th-best prospect available, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com notes “short arms” could negatively affect the 21-year-old’s stock. But Bisontis assuaged some concerns when his arms measured 32 inches at Texas A&M’s pro day on Wednesday, per Garafolo. The average guard checks in around 33 inches.
Whether it’s Bisontis or another high-end prospect (Penn State’s Vega Ioane, for example), it would not be a surprise to see the Chargers grab a guard at either No. 22 or 55. While free agent addition Cole Strange is expected to start on the right side, the Chargers do not have a clear replacement for departed left guard Zion Johnson. Trevor Penning and newcomer Kayode Awosika are in-house options to succeed Johnson, but neither comes with a strong history as a starter.
The Chargers have an obvious need at guard, but that is not the case for either the Panthers or Falcons. Carolina has two expensive starters in Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. A 16-game starter for the fourth straight season in 2025, the 29-year-old Lewis finished as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-ranked guard. Playing the second season of a five-year, $100MM pact, Hunt missed 15 games with a torn biceps, but he returned for a wild-card round loss to the Rams. With Lewis and Hunt sticking around next year, the Panthers may be more inclined to upgrade elsewhere with picks 19 and 51.
As a result of ex-general manager Terry Fontenot‘s James Pearce Jr. gamble last April, the Falcons do not have a first-rounder this year. Atlanta’s first selection is scheduled for No. 48, where president of football Matt Ryan and GM Ian Cunningham could consider Bisontis if he is still available. The Falcons already have two quality starting guards in Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron, however, leaving the long-struggling franchise with more pressing areas to address.
Lindstrom, who inked a five-year, $105MM extension in 2023, is coming off his second 17-start season in a row. PFF ranked Lindstrom a superb second among guards, while Bergergon finished 20th. Bergeron missed two games, but they were the first absences of the three-year veteran’s career. Although Bergeron is eligible for an extension, spending a second-rounder on a guard may indicate Atlanta does not plan to dole out another big payday at the position.
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