LB Drue Tranquill named to list of NFL’s top 50 2023 free agents

Tranquill recorded a career-high 5.5 sacks and four pass breakups in 2022.

Heading into the 2023 offseason, the Chargers have a handful of free agents that balled out this year and are now more than deserving of another contract.

Names like defensive tackle Morgan Fox and offensive tackle Trey Pipkins come to mind, but there was only one pending free agent on the Chargers who made ESPN’s list of the top 50 players that will be available come March: Linebacker Drue Tranquill, who came in at No. 44.

Here’s what ESPN’s Matt Bowen had to say about the former fourth-round pick of the Chargers:

“Tranquill’s 95 solo tackles this season were a career high, and he can be schemed as a blitzer from multiple second-level alignments. He had five sacks and added four pass breakups. A middle linebacker who has the movement traits of a weakside linebacker in space, Tranquill has upside in both base and sub-package personnel.”

In his latest season with the Bolts, Tranquill broke out with 146 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, one interception, four pass breakups, and a forced fumble.

As Bowen mentioned, Tranquill was utilized numerous times as a blitzer from the second level to great success. His former background as a collegiate safety has always given him a high floor in terms of range and coverage skills.

Following a season where Tranquill was far and away the best inside linebacker on the team, I truly can’t imagine a world where the Chargers allow him to walk in the same manner they did Kyzir White, who also just so happens to be playing in this year’s Super Bowl.

Unless the team wants to head into the 2023 season with Kenneth Murray, Troy Reeder, Nick Niemann, and Amen Ogbongbemiga as their core group, Tranquill must be given the money he deserves so he can stay in the powder blue.