85 Tackles 

As impressive as Kenneth Murray’s coverage and pass-rushing skills were in Norman, nothing was more telling than his nose for the ball. And no, we aren’t talking about his ability to break up passes.

Over three years being the nucleus of Oklahoma’s defense, the No. 20 overall pick compiled 176 combined tackles, which included 140 over his sophomore and junior campaigns. 

You simply can’t teach Murray’s intelligence as it pertains to seeing plays unfold before they happen, and that will undoubtedly translate to the NFL. While the likes of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram can be expected to lead the Chargers in the major pass rushing categories, we wouldn’t put it past the former Sooner to lead the team in tackles. Yeah, we said it. 

After all, the team’s leading tackler in 2019 was Thomas Davis, and he reunited with Ron Rivera in Washington this offseason, leaving 112 combined tackles across 16 starts in his wake.

Fans in Los Angeles should fully expect Murray to come close to posting 100 combined tackles, though a number like 85 is probably more realistic for the inexperienced linebacker.