DRAFT INTRIGUE: Carolina Panthers EYE Travis Burke—Will He IMPACT Offensive Line in 2026?

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Is this year where Dan Morgan, Dave Canales, and Brent Tillis finally take an offensive

tackle in the draft, we'll talk about that right here on Lockdown Panthers.

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Welcome into another edition of the Lockdown Panthers Podcast.

I'm your host as always, Julian Counsel, and we're back for another episode, a prospect

of the day, taking a look at a potential prospect that could be here in Carolina after

the 2026 NFL draft later on this month in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

And today, we're focusing in on Travis Burke, an offensive tackle from the University of

Memphis.

According to sources, the Panthers planned to host Burke on a two-day pre-draft visit April

5th through 6th.

So next week, or is it, yeah, yeah, Sunday and Monday, right?

Yeah, Sunday Monday.

So he's going to spend his Easter here in Charlotte and Burke participating in a Falcomba

and the Panthers actually have already virtually had a visit with him.

So this is timely that we're discussing him on today's shows.

He'll be here this weekend for a two-day pre-draft visit, looking at his background originally.

He's from Florida, but he has actually played ball here into Carolina's, began his college

career up in Bowling Springs at Gardener, where he played 14 games, they're running Bulldogs,

then hit the portal and went down to FIU, where he played in 22 games with the Panthers,

but then spent in the last year of eligibility, last season at Memphis, where he played and

started in 11 games at right tackle before having a season ending injury.

That's all clear now as he was able to go to the combine, participate there, so no real

concerns about the injury that he suffered at the end of last season for Memphis.

Looking at his PFF grades, at Memphis, he earned an 84.5 overall PFF grade for the 2025

season.

That was 11th among 632 qualified offensive tackle.

Bravo there, Travis Burkey played, 765 offensive snaps a season ago.

His PFF pass blocking grade was an 81.5.

That ranked 34th out of again, 632 qualified offensive tackles.

His run blocking grade was an 84.2 ranked 9th.

Find a man who can do both.

Good pass blocker, good run blocker.

That was Travis Burk last season at Memphis, he allowed 13 total pressures in pass protection.

That seems like a lot.

That total included three sacks and two hits allowed to opposing pass rushers.

He was flagged for six penalties over the course of the season.

So overall his PFF grades as far as pass blocking, run blocking overall were really good.

And I can see why he dominated in the AAC.

Sorry, it's the American conference now because he's 69 325.

That's what he waited at and that's what he was measured at at the combine in Indie

back in February.

This dude is an absolute monster.

My God.

We've been talking about this looking at his combine scores NFL next gen stats draft

bottle analyze historical NFL combine pro day and collegiate production data to predict

a prospect's chances of success in the NFL.

The results of the model are transformed to composite scores, ratings from 50 to 99,

which represents the athleticism college performance and overall profile of an NFL prospect.

So looking at his production score, it was 66 so not the highest at 13th out of offense

tackles out of the combine athleticism score 72.

That was 17th out of prospects there at the combine out off the tackle.

Then total score was 68 that was 20 that was 21st out of the off the tackle prospects

at the combine.

There's overall prospect grade was a 5.89 and that equals average backup or special

teamers.

So while he graded out very highly at Memphis, this is a dude who start off his career in

the FCS.

He went to not a great program in FIU and then definitely got a bag to go to Memphis.

That's one of the things that makes me really interested in him because there are not

a lot of good tackles in college football.

And if you're a tackle in your portal, you're going to get paid a ton of money.

I think about a guy Howard Samson.

He was at North Texas was not playing at all hits the portal comes North Carolina starts

was okay, not good, not great.

Then he gets paid like a million dollars go play a Texas tech where he was fine there.

But he has asked who the last game they played against Oregon and I believe he's still

a Texas tech.

That guy is like 6968 basketball size kind of guy who's not any NFL draft because he's

not really that good.

So that's how a guy ends up being a gardener web to FIU to Memphis and gets that kind

of grade where they think he's going to be a special teams player or a backup.

But I do think it makes sense for Carolina to be looking for a developmental guy and that's

exactly what he would be.

Now looking at his strengths and his weaknesses, his strengths start off there, fires heavy

hated punch to fit and control run blocks.

Gets in the first contact with surprising bin for a tall tackle plays with finishers mindset

when he gets chances to bury blockers and steps bury blocks.

Stay sticky to blocks with vice grip, hand strength, his weaknesses will struggle to reach

landmarks for a backside cut off blocks, labor is out of his stance in his late to set

points against speed, average ability to recover and redirect once his edge is compromised,

still recommends in a ride to deep on some in slash tackle, twist.

So developmental guy who has a prospect grade of 5.89 saying average backup or special

teamer, how we fit into Carolina?

If the Panthers do use a draft pick on him, we'll talk about that here in just a moment

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If the Panthers do select Travis Berk or if they sign them as a UDFA, how would he fit

in to Carolina's tackle room heading into this upcoming season?

It's very clear that Rashid Walker is going to be the starting left tackle this season

until it comes back or quite possibly the entire year.

Taylor Moten back at right tackle.

No questions about that.

So the Panthers have their two starting tackles.

That is a very good thing to have Timo back and then to be able to get the top tackle on

a free agency market for what they got Rashid Walker for.

Give me something I continuously say because it's just insane.

That happens.

A good on Carolina stone foresight is right now projected to be the swing tackle, but there

is always a possibility depending on what they do later on this month in the draft at

maybe he's not around as a swing tackle, maybe instead they say to the tackle at 19.

He wouldn't be that guy and they'd have him off the roster.

And as we know, Ikki Kwanu, we're covering from a ruptured for Taylor tendon.

He will be back at some point this season.

We think and if he does when he does, not sure where he's going to land.

Rashid Walker is like the plan is the best tackle and football hard to take him off the

field.

If he's struggling, Ikki, you're back in there.

Maybe it's Ikki, no matter what.

I don't know.

It's conversation that we'll certainly have later on this fall in all likelihood and we'll

see I'm sure y'all are going to probably be like, no, can't put Ikki back in there.

We'll see.

We'll see.

I have no idea.

But as far as Burke and where he'd fit again, Walker, Moten, they're your starters.

I do think it's valuable for Carolina this year to draft developmental guys at tackle.

I know Dave Kanau said he doesn't really believe in drafting for depth.

That's different when it comes to getting somebody in the first round.

If you're using say your sixth round pick on this 693 to 25 pound tackle from Memphis,

yes, depth is fine.

That's what Jayden Cody was.

That's what Jimmy Horn was and is.

That's what these cam Jackson.

That's what these guys on day three are, are depth guys.

That's what I think if I don't know where Burke's in a land, Dave Brugler of the athletic

who has the beast is draft profile that comes out and believe next week, really good resource.

I'll go through that when doing some of these scouting reports moving forward, but he typically

has a range where he expect these guys to go.

I don't know where Burke is supposed to land, but if he does come to Carolina, he's very

clearly a developmental guy that you're not expecting to go out and play a ton if at

all this upcoming season, other than maybe special teams and with the already having

two starters and have a swing tackle, Nikki, he's going to be starting off the season

likely on pup.

Then he's coming in to compete for that swing tackle job.

If he wins it, maybe you cut stone for sight at that point in time.

If he loses it, then he's primarily a practice player.

I'm not saying a practice squad guy.

Maybe he's still in the active roster, but he's going to be someone that you see an active

on game day.

Maybe he's active on game day, but it doesn't seem like he has more of a utility like Brady

Christiansen did where he could play guard tackle center all that and Brady still out there

by the way.

I would think his role is just to be a developmental guy who maybe comes in, compete for that swing

tackle job.

If he wins it, great, and you just develop him behind the scenes and see how it plays out

for the Panthers in the future if he's an option in 2027 or 28 or any of the years coming

up here in the near future.

I think that's what his role is.

If the Panthers do take him, whether in the draft or if it's as a UDFA, he'll be again

here for a two day pre-draft visit on the 5th and 6th that Sunday and the Monday coming

up here this weekend and early into next week, but that's going to wrap up this edition

of the Lockdown Panthers podcast for a Lockdown podcast network inspired is Julie Julie

and Council again.

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y'all on Friday.

Answer your weekly Friday mail by questions at me or DM and you get those questions

in me right now.

It means I be safe.

Be happy.

Be whole as always.

Keep pounding and I will be back with y'all later on today on Thursday.

I had so wait for a guest I want to record with to discuss offensive tackle prospects.

We're talking about Blake Miller from Clemson.

We're talking about Kaden Proctor from Alabama.

We're talking about Monroe Freeling from Georgia.

Three guests on the breakdown of those prospects all that coming up here later on today.

Some Thursday unlocks on Panthers.