Los Angeles Chargers fans don't need a reminder of how rough the offensive protection was in 2025.
After Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater went down, the Chargers scrambled all season to find an adequate solution among the limited depth at their disposal, even going so far as to swap a late-round pick for Trevor Penning at the trade deadline. But no one from within their ranks provided even a temporary reprieve from the onslaught facing Justin Herbert on a week-to-week basis.
The name of the game for the Chargers this offseason, therefore, was to replenish the depth of their protection. They began by re-shaping their entire interior, adding Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange in free agency and setting the stage for a three-man battle for the starting left guard spot. They also spent a sizable portion of their draft capital on additional protectors beyond their second-round selection of Jake Slaughter, adding offensive tackle Travis Burke and guards Alex Harkey and Logan Taylor.
Most of these additions will take on depth roles this season, including Burke, who likely has the highest upside out of the class. But with Trey Pipkins III battling to keep his swing tackle spot, Burke is in a unique position to force an intriguing conversation in training camp.
Travis Burke doesn't have a clear path to starting for the Chargers, but he does have a chance to shake up the depth chart
Last season, when Rashawn Slater went down in an offseason workout, Pipkins was trusted to take on snaps at the right tackle spot while Alt slid over to the left. Even before Alt went out and Pipkins took on an even more important role, things looked pretty rough.
Per Pro Football Focus, Pipkins allowed a whopping 13 pressures over the first four weeks of the season. He got eaten alive by the Denver Broncos' pass rush, allowing nine pressures, two QB hits, and one sack in that singular matchup.
Although things stabilized later in the season, it became clear that Pipkins was not an ideal starting option.
With both Alt and Slater projected to be healthy for 2026, bringing Pipkins back in a backup capacity made sense. As it stands, he's on a two-year, $10 million deal with the Chargers.
But Burke certainly has the upside in the long-term to displace him, and if he shows immediate flashes in training camp, there's a world where he pushes for snaps this season— if push comes to shove with the health of either Alt or Slater. At 6'8.75" and 325 lbs, Burke is an imposing physical specimen with the athletic traits and strength to be a real force at either of the tackle spots.
He has improvements to make fundamentally, especially in his lateral agility. But the tape is there at the college level, and the statistics back up his efficiency in protection. Across 429 pass-blocking snaps last season at the University of Memphis, Burke allowed only 13 pressures and three sacks. He also played significant snaps at both tackle positions during his five college seasons.
For now, the swing tackle job is Pipkins' to lose. But if Burke gets reps with the second O-line unit in training camp and continues to show flashes, it might be time to start having a conversation about Pipkins' future with the team.
Add us as a preferred source on Google