After the release of Thomas Davis earlier this offseason, the linebacker position was seen as a glaring need for the Chargers.
Los Angeles wasted no time finding his replacement by trading up into the backend of the first-round to select former Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray with the No. 23 overall pick.
Isaiah Simmons and L.A. were seen as an ideal pairing, but grabbing the quarterback of the future was more of a priority. At the end of the day, they were able to get their signal-caller and still nab a top-ranked linebacker.
Murray is not only a good player, he’s a good person. General manager Tom Telesco values both, which is why he was seen as a perfect fit in his eyes. But in the eyes of ESPN’s Matt Bowen, Murray is the perfect schematic fit for the Chargers.
Murray is a three-down linebacker with the traits to fit in Gus Bradley’s defensive scheme. The Chargers played zone coverage on a league-high 68.2% of opposing quarterbacks’ dropbacks last season, so expect lots of of three-deep coverage that meshes with Murray’s skill set in 2020. Drop as a hook defender, carry the inside verticals or roam the middle of the field to hunt down crossing routes.
Plus, with Murray’s second-level range and 4.52 40-yard dash speed, he elevates a defense that ranked 18th versus the run. Hit the gaps and use that sideline-to-sideline ability to make plays on the edge.
Murray, a hunter in the middle of the field, will add more speed, range and physicality to the defense. Like Bowen mention, Murray will limit yards after the catch and making plays in opponent’s backfields as a run-defender or additional blitzer.
Murray wasn’t tasked with a lot coverage responsibilities in college, so his zone awareness is an area of improvement. However, he has the speed and athleticism to to stay in stride with running backs and tight ends, which is something that was a glaring issues the past few seasons at the position.
In Year 1, look for Murray to start as the Will linebacker, playing all three downs, while Drue Tranquill will man the starting Mike linebacker. For once in a very long time, the positional group is looking quite stout.