Colts Schedule Late Meeting with Mammoth Tackle Prospect
· Yahoo Sports
One of the most underrated needs for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason is swing tackle.
Visit catcross.org for more information.
Last year, rookie Jalen Travis held down that spot, but now he is being promoted to the starting lineup to replace right tackle Braden Smith.
Now, a player in the 2026 NFL Draft with comparable size to Travis is being looked at to potentially fill that swing tackle role.
The Colts have scheduled a Zoom meeting with Memphis offensive tackle Travis Burke late in the pre-draft process after already having a formal meeting with him in February at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to Justin Melo of NFL Draft On SI.
Really interesting late-round swing tackle prospect for the Colts. Jalen Travis size and Quenton Nelson attitude. https://t.co/5gHOxfK9rT
— Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) April 15, 2026
Burke (23), who is nearly 6-foot-9, weighs 325 pounds, and has over 34-inch arms, is projected to go just about any time on Day 3 of the draft (Rounds 4-7).
He began his college career in 2021 at Gardner-Webb, where he played until transferring to Florida International in 2023. He ended his college days at Memphis in 2025, working his way up the competitive ladder.
Burke started 46 games, 29 at left tackle and 17 at right tackle, earning First-Team All-AAC honors in 2025. In total, he logged 2,971 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
He's got explosive movement for his size, similar to Travis, who measured in nearly 6'8" and 339 pounds before the Colts took him in the fourth round last spring.
Burke received high-level grades across the board from PFF, finishing with an overall grade of 84.5 (5th among OTs in this draft), an 84.2 in run blocking (5th), and 81.5 in pass protection (12th). He gave up just 13 pressures all season for an efficiency rate of 98.0%.
As a player, Burke combines Travis' size and mobility with Quenton Nelson's nastiness; one of Burke's biggest takeaways is his mean streak on the field, constantly looking for drive or pancake blocks.
When Colts right tackle Smith moved to the Houston Texans in free agency, it allowed the Colts to insert Travis into the starting lineup, but it now leaves a vacancy at swing tackle that hasn't been adequately filled yet.
Currently, Blake Freeland and Luke Tenuta are the main competitors for that spot, which leaves something to be desired. Freeland's career grade is 51.9, which is below average, and he is coming off a broken lower leg suffered last summer. Tenuta, meanwhile, only has 35 career snaps in the NFL.