It’s easy to discount a player when he’s selected with a high draft pick out of a college that not much of the general fanbase knows about to address a glaring position of need.
That’s how it has been for offensive tackle Trey Pipkins.
Pipkins was drafted in the third-round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Sioux Falls University. With plenty of other offensive tackles out of bigger universities, general manager Tom Telesco rolled the dice on the small schooler.
Despite the talent Pipkins faced in college, Telesco saw the potential in Pipkins to become a long-term option for Los Angeles. Instead of throwing him into the fire in Year 1, they wanted Pipkins to sit and learn from one of the best at the position — offensive tackle Russell Okung.
Little did they know that a series of unfortunate events would occur more than halfway through the season in which would ultimately ruin their developmental plans for the rookie.
In the Week 10 matchup against the Raiders, Okung sustained a knee injury. With Trent Scott already filling in for an injured Sam Tevi, the Chargers were forced to have Pipkins fill in the shoes of the Pro Bowl left tackle.
A quarter into the game, Pipkins looked like a player that had been in the league for four years already, looking crisp in his pass sets. But later on, the growing pains became evident when he was beat for a couple sacks and quarterback pressures.
The words “bust” or “waste of a pick” arose following his performance.
A week later with more than a full week of practice under his belt with the starting unit, Pipkins made his first official professional start against the Kansas City Chiefs while Okung sat with a groin injury.
Facing a talented defensive front, Pipkins knew he was in for a challenge. The Apple Valley native was tasked with slowing down defensive end Frank Clark, who is one of the best players at his position in the league.
Early on, Clark got the best of Pipkins, beating him around the corner, which was resulted in an interception as he hit quarterback Philip Rivers. Clark beat Pipkins a couple more times but other than that, he fared well against the fearsome pass rush.
You can’t expect too much more from a player that was viewed as a project. It may not be perfect, but experiencing the ups and down could be a blessing in disguise for a first-year player to get more reps against talent he has never faced before so that way he could adapt.
“You can’t be scared of any situation. You have to go out there like you’re playing in the backyard. Just follow your techniques and fundamentals. You can’t put it above any other game,” Pipkins said, per Los Angeles Times’ Jeff Miller.
Heading into this weekend’s matchup, Pipkins could get another tough matchup in Broncos defensive end Von Miller, if he gets the start over Okung, who’s currently questionable.
Coming from a small high school and Division II program, casual fans may mistake Pipkins as merely a small fish in a big pond. But with time and more live reps, he could develop into something good for the Chargers for years to come.
“A rookie playing tackle in this league. I don’t care who you are, first-round pick or whatever it is, it’s tough. Trey’s a smart guy. He works at it. He’s tough. He battles everyday in practice,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said.
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