The Los Angeles Chargers' primary mission this offseason was, obviously, to replenish the depth of their offensive line. No matter what you think about the players they ended up with, they at least accomplished that successfully.
They brought back Trey Pipkins III and Trevor Penning before adding Cole Strange, Tyler Biadasz, and Kayode Awosika through free agency. The 2026 NFL Draft yielded Jake Slaughter, Travis Burke, Logan Taylor, and Alex Harkey. They also added Isaiah World as an undrafted free agent. Toss in the returns of Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, and things are already looking up in Los Angeles.
But with this amount of depth comes tension and competition. Pipkins, for example, signed a two-year, $10 million deal to return to the Chargers this offseason. But with Burke and World in the fold, it's likely only a matter of time until Pipkins is replaced as the swing tackle in Los Angeles.
It won't happen this season, but training camp will be Pipkins' first opportunity to fend off the competition for his job.
Travis Burke and Isaiah World both have pathways to bigger roles on the Chargers
Both Burke and World were upside swings, and both need extensive work on their fundamentals and their positioning at the NFL level. But at 6'8.75" and 325 lbs, Burke is an impressive physical specimen. He played all but one of his snaps at right tackle during his final season at Memphis, but he played on both sides of the offensive line extensively throughout his college career.
World's rookie season will likely be a 'red-shirt' campaign as he rehabs the ACL tear he suffered in the College Football Playoffs with Oregon. But his upside is immense as well. He's strong and mobile, and although his technique needs to be refined, he has the tools to become an NFL-caliber tackle eventually.
As far as 2026 goes, Pipkins' job is likely secured. He performed impressively last season given the situation he was thrust into, allowing 27 pressures and four sacks on 376 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He has the most experience among the Chargers' depth offensive linemen.
As he enters his eighth year in the NFL, though, it's clear that he'll be replaceable at some point. Say Burke were to show signs of being able to take over swing tackle duties in training camp and World were to do so next offseason. The Chargers could save nearly $5 million against the cap by releasing Pipkins prior to the start of 2027. At the very least, it seems as though Pipkins' two-year deal will be last with Los Angeles.
As of now, Pipkins certainly has both of these developmental prospects beat. But there's a roster crunch coming at tackle eventually, and this year's training camp could start to set the stage for either of those players to usurp Pipkins in the future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google