Khari Willis and Drue Tranquill are just a couple of fourth round picks from the 2019 draft looking to go into year two to prove themselves as starters. This article will cover a few of the reasons why they both have the potential to become IDP breakout candidates.
First off, I would like to apologize for my lack of content over the month of May. Outside of writing articles and contributing content for IDPGuys, I work as a forklift driver for a company that assists in the packaging of canned goods. As you can imagine during a global pandemic, canned goods are in high demand. I’ve been working crazy hours for a few months, in addition to being a single guy taking care of things around the house. My plate has been full. Through it all, I’ve been working on a better way to pack more information into my potential IDP breakout candidates series.
I’ve decided to continue the series with a slight difference. I think its vital to explain my reasoning why I believe a potential player could break out. I also thought it would be fun to pack two players into each article. That way, I can add more players into the series and hopefully it will be more fun you to read. Now back to business, Khari Willis and Drue Tranquill showed off their potential in their first season in the NFL so let’s take a look at how their rookie seasons ended and the depth chart situations they find themselves in as their second season begins.
Khari Willis’s 2019 statistics: 53 solo tackles, 18 tackle assists, 2 tackles for loss and 1 pass defense
Khari Willis is one of my favorite defensive backs with the potential to breakout in 2020. He was a fourth round pick in 2019, selected by the Colts. He was thrust into a backfield with the likes of Clayton Geathers and Malik Hooker. Willis appeared in 14 games for Indianapolis and he played 631 snaps on defense. As the second half of the season progressed, Willis started getting more snaps. I believe the coaching staff was starting to see the type of talent they had drafted. It is just my opinion, but he was clearly outplaying Hooker and Geathers on a consistent basis.
Now, with Geathers no longer a member of Colts, Willis looks to start at the strong safety position for Indianapolis. This will mean an uptick in snaps and plenty of IDP value as long as he stays healthy. He did have a concussion at one point last season and also what was labeled as a “stinger” with a minor neck injury. Yes, concussions scare all of us. Especially for those players who offer a high ceiling but have trouble staying healthy. I’m not worried when it comes to Khari though. He didn’t miss many games. He’s still young and has plenty of chances to flash his talent in the 2020 season. Playing next to Hooker could do him some good as well.
Hooker’s inability to stay healthy could give Willis another boost in tackle possibilities. Indianapolis did select safety prospect Julian Blackmon out of Utah in the third round. I don’t see this taking any snaps from Willis. It’s more likely he was drafted because Hooker is such a liability. Willis currently has an ADP of 314.50. Which puts him right around the 26th round in a twelve team league. In my opinion, this is definitely a guy you could wait to grab at that point because he is so under the radar. But, don’t try to be smooth and wait too long. He is a tremendous value to grab at that point in a draft. Definite DB2 value with a possibility of becoming a DB1. Can’t go wrong there if you’re looking for IDP breakout candidates.
Drue Tranquill’s 2019 statistics: 50 solo tackles, 14 tackle assists, 4 tackles for loss and 1 pass defense
I’m from a small town in northwest Indiana. Twenty minutes away from Lake Michigan, and barely a two hour drive from Chicago, if there’s good traffic. When it comes to the world of professional sports, I’m all about Chicago teams. Maybe it’s the family I was raised in, or maybe its the location where I live. For college football though, I love Notre Dame. South Bend is very close to my hometown. Been to more Fighting Irish games than I have Bears. I watched Drue in college regularly and was always impressed with his leadership and high motor. He definitely deserves the chance he is getting in the NFL to make a name for himself.
I was super excited when Tranquill started to get more snaps in 2019. I knew what this guy was capable of. Not every rookie adjusts to the speed of the NFL right away. For some guys, it takes them a bit longer to flash their potential for a multitude of different reasons. The linebacker group for the Chargers has been hard to read for a couple seasons now. No sure-fire player to give us that IDP value we look for to give us those wins on a week to week basis. Tranquill played 382 snaps and 15 games in 2019 for Los Angeles. For such few snaps, I’m impressed with those tackle numbers. Tranquill currently has an ADP of 275.25. That has him starting to go off the board around the 22nd round in twelve team leagues.
The linebacker group changed a bit during this offseason. The Chargers took Kenneth Murray in the first round after the Herbert pick. He is a tremendous linebacker prospect out of Oklahoma. If you’ve done your research on this year’s IDP rookies, you know about Murray. He is a great sideline to sideline kind of guy. Los Angeles added Nick Vigil through free agency, and they still have some potential in Kyzir White. I don’t see either starting over him on the inside. I can see Tranquill manning the middle for them this year while Murray plays as more of the cover guy. That means Drue could get plenty of chances for tackles. Tackle volume is good for IDP business. He has LB2/3 value. Jump on it y’all.
I have a couple of defensive lineman up next in the IDP Breakout Candidates series, so stay tuned for that and check out my past articles! As always, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during our stays at home. As the country reopens, please take precautions for yourself and your families. Please follow me on twitter, @MagleyZach is the tag! Always enjoy talking all types of fantasy with the twitterverse! Please subscribe to idpguys.org and dynastyfootballdigest.com for all your fantasy needs!