2015 was an absolute disaster for the Chargers’ offensive line. Injuries to key starters forced backups into significant roles that they were not prepared for. In the limited time that the starters were actually healthy, they did not perform well at all. As a result, the position unit ranked dead last in the league according to pro football focus.

2016 thus far has been a complete turnaround from 2015’s debacle. All five starting lineman are healthy and have been logging huge snap counts. Matt Slauson has been in on every play so far in 2016 while the Chargers’ two backup lineman, Spencer Pulley and Chris Hairston, have recorded only 42 snaps combined.

Health is definitely a significant factor, but each of the Chargers’ three injury prone lineman—D.J. Fluker, Orlando Franklin, and King Dunlap—have been significantly better than last season. Out of the three, Dunlap has the smallest improvement in his PFF player grade from 2015 at 15 points.

While the improvement from 2015 to 2016 is impressive, the overall performance compared to the rest of the league is also worthy of notice. Each of the Chargers’ five starting lineman have graded out as average or better according to PFF, with Slauson leading the way at a grade of 80.5. Dunlap, Fluker, and Joe Barksdale each rank in the top 30 at their position, while Slauson ranks an impressive seventh.

Barksdale has graded out as the best offensive player in each of the Chargers’ first two games (despite his lower overall ranking), displaying an underrated effectiveness in both pass blocking and in the ground game. Barksdale and Slauson’s strong starts to the season combined with the resurgence of D.J. Fluker at right guard has created a solid triumvirate on the right side of the Bolts’ offensive line.

It comes as no surprise that the Chargers rank second in the league when running the ball behind Joe Barksdale, according to football outsiders. Plus, when the Bolts decide to run the ball between Slauson and Fluker, the team ranks eighth in the league. Between Barksdale, Fluker, and Slauson, the Chargers average about 330 lbs. on the right side of the offensive line. Ken Whisenhunt has not ignored this massive amount of size and talent, consistently generating big gains for Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead with runs to the right side.

As a whole, San Diego rank fourth in the NFL in run blocking according to football outsiders. The Chargers are doing a great job running the ball in power run formations (7th in the league) while also preventing stuffs (4th—when the running back is tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage). The Bolts have an excellent right side of the offensive line particularly in the running game, and if the left side of Franklin and Dunlap can improve on their below average run blocking grades, the Chargers could have one of the best run blocking groups in the NFL.

Dunlap and Franklin are two experienced offensive lineman that have been all-pro caliber players in the past. Franklin was a run blocking menace in Denver while Dunlap has performed far better before. These two players need to step up their performances in order to keep defenses from keying in on the right side of the line on running plays.

In addition, the Chargers need to improve the team’s pass protection which has ranked 23rd in the league according to football outsiders. Only Matt Slauson and King Dunlap rank as above average in pass protection with PFF’s rankings. The other three lineman need to improve, especially with Philip Rivers’ safety blanket, Danny Woodhead now out for the season.

Woodhead is a dynamic player that can have a huge impact on the ground and through the air. Perhaps more importantly, Woodhead’s ability to act as a security blanket for Rivers when under pressure has proven to be vital. Woodhead was the Chargers’ leading receiver in 2015 and will be an extremely tough player to replace especially with Branden Oliver already out for the season.

Woodhead’s playmaking ability gives Rivers the ability to dump the ball off with designed quick passes or when defenses collapse the pocket. The Nebraska native’s injury now increases the pressure on the offensive line as Gordon is a completely different type of back to Woodhead. The Chargers have recently signed Dexter McCluster as a replacement for Woodhead, but the former Tennessee Titan will need to learn an entirely new playbook while also generating a solid understanding with Rivers before he can be expected to have much of an impact.

The offensive line needed a bounce back year after 2015’s woeful underperformance, and so far the players have delivered. The running game has been dynamic while pass protection has improved, but due to key injuries among the Chargers’ skill players, the pressure on the offensive line is only increasing. If the Chargers hope to contend for a playoff spot, the Bolts will need a healthy offensive line to carry the offense. So far the line has lived up to expectations, but the real challenges of a long NFL season are only just beginning.