The Chargers kicked off their offseason with sticking to the words that general manager Tom Telesco said following the 2018 season with the need to prioritize the linebacker position. They did that with the signing of Thomas Davis, retaining of Denzel Perryman and now with the draft pick of Drue Tranquill with the No. 130 overall selection.
Tranquill started out as a safety at Notre Dame, moved to a Rover position, and then moved inside to the Buck linebacker. He also battled two different ACL tears early on (2014-15), but he came back from both and was dominate, recording 250 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, nine passes defensed and four fumble recoveries.
Tranquill plays fast and was routinely in the right place at the right time on tape, winning with twitchiness, diagnosis skills and physicality. He reads well, and whether he’s filling or scraping over the top, he’s bound to be in on the play. He can rush off the edge or do what he does best by getting out into space to run stride for stride tight ends and running backs.
The bottom line is that Tranquill will need to continue to stay healthy, but he competes with the intelligence, toughness and offers the versatility that the Chargers covet. The former Notre Dame product won’t be a starting linebacker in his first couple seasons, but will be a sub-package linebacker and big special team contributor early on.
