The Chargers entered Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft with seven picks, the first of which was wide receiver Brenen Thompson out of Mississippi State.
The Chargers then made a trade with the Texans, which gave them the No. 117 overall pick in exchange for picks No. 123 and No. 204.
Their second fourth round pick of the day was an offensive tackle out of Memphis, Travis Burke. One of the biggest needs the Chargers had entering the draft was the offensive line, which struggled mightily in 2025.
The Chargers chose to bolster the defense with their first round pick, selecting the best edge rusher available in Akheem Mesidor at No. 22. Since then, general manager Joe Hortiz has prioritized the offense.
The Chargers drafted center Jake Slaughter in the second round and a wide receiver in the fourth. Their second fourth-round pick, Burke, is a gargantuan tackle at 6'8" and 325 pounds with plenty of experience in a zone scheme.
He will likely be a swing tackle for the Bolts in 2026.
Here's how social media reacted to the Chargers drafting Burke:
NICE! I wanted a backup OT with the injury concerns of Slater and Alt. Our OL always seems to get banged up every year, but I like the depth now. Backups at C, G and OT. Now can address the defense a bit.
Travis Burke was drafted in round 4 with pick 117 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.05 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 157 out of 1645 OT from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/sTFVfDw0FU pic.twitter.com/5TuqJwx02Y
Travis Burke is a gargantuan human being with a violent demeanor. Massive wingspan with strong hands. He is a powerful run blocker who is great in space. He'll need to clean up the penalties & improve his technique (playing too high) but a Swing Tackle early with starting upside
The Falcons trade down further affirms to me that Travis Burke was their guy at 122. When he went to the Chargers in a trade up, it was time to trade down and add a 6th Round pick https://t.co/3QPWQ1ylFt
Travis Burke is 6-9, 325 and a mauler. One of the meanest dudes in the draft. Wants to grind defenders into the ground on every snap. https://t.co/LZnkVjsKwD
Banger pick for the Chargers lol, if Alt or Slater go down again this would be a sick spot starter for them. My #120 prospect, Travis Burke is a great athlete wit nasty run blocking & grip strength, pass pro can be worked on + bad anchor but this mammoth lol is nice#BoltUp https://t.co/URZOD8lLbs
The Shaq of TacklesBurke is a tall tackle at nearly 6 ft 10 inches with plus ability at drive-blocking. He has flexible hips for his size which gives him potential. Burke is also really aggressive and has good hands and solid grip strength. A lack of short-area quickness… pic.twitter.com/xPAOwTk9Hd
Travis Burke was someone that I liked as swing tackle competition, and one of the few athletes in the world that Joe Alt has to look up to literally at 6’9!
I like the process behind the Travis Burke pick. he moves well for being almost 6'9" and spent last year prepping like a pro with NFLer David Diehl as his OL coach. experience at both tackle spots, Pipkins saves $5 mil if you cut him next offseason. swing tackle of the future
Travis Burke is massive (6’9”) and violent. He is a swing tackle who loves physicality — sound like a Harbaugh guy?For the PFF crowd: pic.twitter.com/MhtiQdrkge
Travis “Dancing Bear” Burke6’9315 lbs23y/o pic.twitter.com/0nugkpxiSj
Chargers get massive Memphis OT Travis Burke. Perfect swing tackle and an absolute beast.
— Powder Blue Blood (@pwdrblueblood) April 25, 2026