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:
