While the Chargers made plenty of moves to address their defense this offseason, linebacker is a position where things look mostly the same as they did a season ago. Kyzir White will suit up for the Eagles after a stellar season in powder blue, replaced by former Ram Troy Reeder. Other than that, usual suspects Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray return and seem poised to hold down starting roles in 2022. We know the kind of impact that Tranquill can have when healthy, but Murray has been a bit more of a mystery since LA traded up for him in the first round of the 2020 draft.
With so few holes on paper on this new-look defense, it’s little wonder that Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport named Murray LA’s X-factor heading into this season. Of course, you know what you’ll get out of big-name additions like Khalil Mack and JC Jackson. Likewise, established stars like Derwin James and Joey Bosa will produce. But even in a defensive scheme that de-emphasizes the importance of the linebacker position, LA will need more from Murray.
Here’s what Davenport had to say about the former first rounder’s outlook for 2022:
After losing Kyzir White in free agency, the Chargers signed former Rams linebacker Troy Reeder, who is a middling talent at best. A Chargers team with Super Bowl aspirations needs Murray to live up to his predraft expectations in 2022.
There is optimism that Murray can live up to those expectations, especially now that he’s fully healthy after the ankle injury that limited him in 2021. Regaining the trust in that surgically repaired ankle will be essential for a breakout 2022 season. Tranquill said as much in an interview last month, emphasizing the importance of “freedom, mentally” in unlocking Murray’s undeniably freakish athletic traits. It’s something Tranquill has prior experience with, considering a broken leg cut his second season short.
There’s also a chance that Brandon Staley and company choose to give Murray more snaps as a dedicated pass rusher, something they played around with last season before the injury hampered him. That sort of hybrid role is precisely the kind of thing veteran addition Kyle Van Noy has made a living off of, which could mean Murray is in line for some elite-tier teaching from the former Super Bowl champion. That mentorship is yet another possible catalyst for Murray’s development heading into Year 3.