Chargers Roster Spotlights: Alex Harkey, An Experienced Rookie Fighting for a Spot

Alex Harkey, born on July 22, 2001, in Austin, Texas played his high school ball at Jack C. Hays High School as a dual-sport athlete, playing basketball and football, with his football position being defensive line and tight end.

Self-admittedly, Harkey claims he did not get "serious" about football until his senior year of high school, which seems to directly correlate to his zero-star recruiting status, according to 247Sports. Harkey committed to the Tyler Apaches during the 2020 year, playing only four games in the spring 2021 COVID season as a tight end.

For the 2021 fall, he played offensive tackle for a team that averaged 490.1 yards per game, giving him early experience in a high-scoring offense. After that successful year, Harkey transferred to Colorado, where he saw limited action, playing mostly at guard and special teams as a depth option.

This lack of play time is likely what had Harkey transfer to Texas State, where he saw limited action in 2023, with hopes of his 2024 season to be his year to see starting action once more. This is exactly what occurred, where he started 12 games and earned third-team All-Sun Belt Conference. This success had Harkey transfer one last time, this time to the Oregon Ducks, one of college football's best teams.

With the Ducks, he started fourteen games, all of them at right tackle. His contributions allowed the Ducks to be one of the best offenses in the country, spearheaded by the offensive line. Now with elite competition on Harkey's resume, he was ready to go to the 2026 NFL Draft.

NFL Draft Scout, Lance Zierlein, was one of the scouts higher on Harkey, with a fifth-round grade, with his overview of Harkey being: "Sixth-year senior whose lack of length is likely to push him inside to guard. Harkey has the mass to play guard but needs to prove he has the core strength to deal with interior bullies. He can operate in both gap and zone schemes...Harkey's experience at tackle and his athletic tools create a real opportunity to become a successful interior protector provided he can hold up to the bull rush. Harkey projects as a backup guard with starting potential."

Chargers Alex Harkey, OL Oregon

With scouts bringing buzz to Harkey's name, the Los Angeles Chargers front office seemed to be in agreement with the hype. They selected him in the sixth round, with the 206th overall selection of the 2026 NFL Draft. He was one of four offensive lineman taken in their class.

2025 Season Stats

14 Starts

65.3 PFF Overall Grade '25





74.4 PFF Pass Block Grade '25





64.8 PFF Run Block Grade '25





735 Snaps Played

16 Pressures Allowed

0 Sacks Allowed

7 Penalties

Measurables

Contract Status

"Alex Harkey signed a 4 year, $4,639,608 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $259,608 signing bonus, $259,608 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,159,902. In 2026, Harkey will earn a base salary of $885,000 and a signing bonus of $259,608, while carrying a cap hit of $949,902 and a dead cap value of $259,608." - Spotrac

Alex Harkey's 2026 Season Outlook

Now with the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that is desperate for more offensive line talent, Harkey is going to be competing for a guard spot on the final 53-man roster. He is seemingly behind other rookies Logan Taylor and Jake Slaughter and veterans Kayode Awosika and Trevor Penning on the depth chart, but only time will tell to see how things really shake out in training camp.

His experience and athletic tools should give hope to fans that he can stick around the practice squad and possibly become a long-term Chargers depth option at guard.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/onsi as Chargers Roster Spotlights: Alex Harkey, An Experienced Rookie Fighting for a Spot.

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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM.