Chargers: Los Angeles’ top 5 players under 25 years old

No. 5: Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill

Some may be surprised about this pick with linebacker Drue Tranquill playing only one NFL season up to this point, but it’s one that showed a lot of promise. Tranquill racked up 75 tackles on 382 snaps. His rush defense and tackling were really solid and consistent all year long.

With veteran linebacker Denzel Perryman probably not returning to the Chargers in 2021, all eyes are on the former golden domer to prove he can be the starting middle linebacker. That could be a role that goes to the rookie, Kenneth Murray, eventually, but it’s definitely Tranquill’s for now.

Linebacker Thomas Davis’ release prior to free agency only emboldens the youth movement Los Angeles is clearly going for at linebacker.

One could certainly say Mike Williams and Desmond King have more accomplishments in the pros to this point. King is a former All-Pro while Williams just had his first 1,000-yard season. With Tranquill, though, I currently see higher potential in terms of him becoming a perennial Pro Bowl linebacker. The intelligence and overall football IQ he demonstrates on each play are astounding for a player his age.

Tranquill was all over the field with 11 special teams tackles and two blocked punts as well. It’s unusual for a fourth-round pick to be such an integral piece in his first year, but he was an integral piece and then some in 2019.

It’s hard to tell what his ultimate ceiling with L.A. will be after just one year, but there were too many positive developments and signs in year one to not include him in the top five.