​The Chargers are a little over a month from the start of the 2026 season, but a few things need to get ironed out, most notably the starting left guard position.The left guard battle remains one of the most intriguing and important competitions of training camp, and the starting job is still up for grabs. The Chargers have practiced for the last week-plus, emphasizing the little things ahead of the season, but one player who has consistently stood out is second-year Branson Taylor.Taylor is one of five players up for the starting left guard spot, and he recently earned some major praise from right tackle Joe Alt. After Thursday’s practice, Alt praised Taylor’s work ethic and approach to practice. “The way he approaches practice has been awesome to see this year,” Alt said. “Being able to work with him pre-practice, post-practice, talk things through, see where his mind is at, see where he’s trying to improve.”Then, being able to take that little conversation whether it’s in the meeting room or before practice, and see him emphasize it during practice and get a little better at one thing, that’s been really cool,” Alt continued.Taylor has gotten some run with the starting unit with Justin Herbert under center. He’s stood out to Alt and the rest of the team’s personnel, quickly emerging as a primary contender for the starting left guard vacancy. The 24-year-old is heading into Year 2 in the league. The Chargers selected Taylor with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh. Taylor has done everything he could and more to earn the role, holding his ground in physical, padded team drills. While Taylor could emerge as the winner in that role, he has zero experience starting thus far. In 2025, Taylor had a reserve role; however, his role from his rookie to sophomore year could increase significantly. Nonetheless, that position battle is still very much up in the air. This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Could Branson Taylor have the edge in the Chargers’ left guard battle?