The Los Angeles Chargers head into the 2026 season with a solid roster but still have a few questions to answer, particularly on the offensive line. However, head coach Jim Harbaugh does not appear worried and has a strong belief in the young talent up front.
During Tuesday's media session, Harbaugh talked about the fact that he believes the Chargers may have two rookies in particular who could contribute this season on the offensive line.
"Probably the biggest factor in all of it, though, is the four rookie offensive linemen and the way they've acquitted themselves through these 13-14 practices. Two really, showing that there's they're (they) almost could be day-one starters, you know, game-one starters, which you just don't anticipate that, you know, with a rookie offensive lineman especially. It's just rare, you know. It's Joe Alt stuff. It's stuff like that. So, and I'm talking about Jake Slaughter and Travis Burke. But Logan Taylor, Mr. Harkey, they're doing good, too. You know, really good. So, I just say, like we always say, competitors welcome," Harbaugh said.
As Harbaugh talked about, the two rookie offensive linemen he is looking at to contribute are rookie guard and center Jake Slaughter and rookie offensive tackle Travis Burke, who have had solid camps and could be ready to contribute when the regular season starts.
Starting with Slaughter, he was initially competing for the backup left guard position and was slated to be the backup center. However, since starting center Tyler Biadasz went down yesterday with what seems to be a major injury, Slaughter will now most likely become the starting center and take on a major role for this offensive line, just as he did in college with the Florida Gators.
On the other hand, Burke does still seem to be a depth piece at this point in time, as on the second unofficial depth chart of 2026, he was listed as the third-string right tackle behind starting right tackle Joe Alt and swing tackle Trey Pipkins III.
Last season, the Chargers struggled with injuries up front, especially at tackle, with Alt and starting left tackle Rashawn Slater missing most of the season, which forced Pipkins to play a major role, which was not an ideal situation, as Pipkins played inconsistently throughout the season.
With that in mind, Burke needs to stay ready and continue progress and shine in his preseason opportunities so he can prove he has the ability to contribute at either tackle position and give the Chargers the depth they need to ensure quarterback Justin Herbert will always be protected.
On another note, Harbaugh also talked about rookie guard and tackle Logan Taylor and rookie guard Alex Harkey both showing good progress as well.
Looking at Taylor, he has been listed as the third string right guard and as the fourth string left tackle on the depth chart for this week, which shows his flexibility to play all over the offensive line. Standing at 6-7 and 312 pounds, it is clear that Taylor has a great frame and as he continues to develop he could be a great piece for the Chargers up front as depth or even in the rotation.
Harkey has also shown some good progress, as he was listed as the fourth-string left guard and right guard, which also showcases his ability to be versatile, specifically on the interior. With Harkey's frame at 6-6 and 327 pounds, he has great size on the interior, but if there were an emergency, he may also have the ability to play some snaps at tackle as well.
Overall, the Chargers have a solid amount of talent on the offensive line, but the emphasis made in this past draft on the offensive line in players like Slaughter, Burke, Taylor, and Harkey is something that could help build a reliable offensive line for the future and possibly have Slaughter and Burke in particular make key contributions this season.
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