Travis Burke was drafted by the Chargers on Saturday in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He was the only Tiger selected over the seven-round draft, and he became the highest Memphis player selected since Dylan Parham was selected No. 90 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
After the draft was complete, the Chargers held a “Front Office 2026 NFL Draft Day 3 Recap Press Conference” where general manager Joe Hortiz, assistant general manager Chad Alexander and head coach Jim Harbaugh fielded questions about the players selected over the final three rounds. All three were asked about Burke and what he brings to the team.
Alexander started by talking about his size and his ability to finish plays.
“Just a massive human being,” Alexander said. “Huge outstanding length. He’s a really tough competitor. What stands out to me is just the effort. The finishing ability. Nastiness, you know what I mean, in terms of finishing plays, and he’s still got a ton of upside.”
It sounds like Burke’s physicality is something that really stood out to all three of the decision makers, and they all made note of his size and what he can do against opposing defensive lines. The general manager was spoke at length about Burke’s potential at the next level.
“There’s so much room for growth,” Hortiz said. “Chad [Alexander] mentioned that. Just get him in a pro organization and let him just really flourish. Chad mentioned the physicality. I think I saw some of the highlights after we picked him, where he’s just bulldozing guys in the open field. A lot of talent and a lot of upside still to go.”
Los Angeles traded up to take Burke at No. 117, and the general manager talked about the decision to trade up and draft the former Tiger.
“We felt like the only one we moved up on was Travis, and again, he’s a swing tackle,” Hortiz said. “We used one of those sixes to move up a little bit just to secure him because we all know what we went through last year with tackles. He’s a guy that we feel has starter tools.”
Last season, the Chargers had one of the worst offensive line units in the league, and a main reason was due to injuries at the tackle positions. Rashawn Slater missed the entire season with a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee, while Joe Alt played only six games before missing the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
Burke will have an opportunity to make an impact early as a depth piece, but it feels like the Chargers’ front office feels like he could be a key piece after some development.
“I love the hustle,” Harbaugh said. “Not afraid to finish. Chad [Alexander] said it, but he’s not afraid to finish down the field out past the hashes. Just a lot of good. Sometimes you get a favorite player, and this is definitely one of mine in this draft.”