McFadden embracing various changes coming with new team
By: Davis Potter May 2, 2023

Other than recently spending a couple of days on the West Coast attending a friend’s wedding, Jordan McFadden’s experience with California is limited.

So is his knowledge of his new team’s roster.

“I’ll be around a bunch of new faces and new people,” McFadden said.

Change is coming for the former Clemson offensive lineman, who was taken by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth round of last week’s NFL Draft. McFadden attended Dorman High in Spartanburg before spending five years at Clemson, so South Carolina is his comfort zone.

McFadden will soon step out of it, though, when he heads West later this month for the start of the team’s rookie minicamp. And it’s not the only alteration he will have to get used to.

Clemson’s starting left tackle the last two seasons, McFadden spent his time with the Tigers on the edge of the offensive line. He spent his first season as a full-time starter in 2020 on the right side before making the switch. In all, McFadden started 39 games at tackle in college, earning first-team all-ACC honors last season in addition to the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which annually goes to the league’s top offensive lineman.

But at 6-foot-2, McFadden projects more as an interior lineman at the next level, a move Chargers brass has already confirmed McFadden will be making. Chargers coach Brandon Staley said the plan is to begin McFadden at guard with the possibility of him playing some tackle or even center in the future.

It’s a move McFadden has been embracing for a while.

He said the feedback from most teams throughout the pre-draft process confirmed their plans to use him on the interior, but McFadden cross-trained at multiple positions up front during his time at Clemson to start preparing himself just in case. McFadden said he’s less concerned about where he’s repping and more about helping his new team win.

“I’m excited,” McFadden told local media in Los Angeles after being drafted. “My biggest thing is just to try to get on the field and help the team win the best way that I can. So whichever way I can do that, I’m excited.”