The Seattle Seahawks have added arguably the best interior defensive player in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Byron Murphy II with the No. 16 pick in the first round. The former Texas defensive tackle will join a Seattle defensive line that includes Leonard Williams, Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed.
Murphy served as a starter for only one season in Austin, but the 6-foot, 297-pound defender stood out in 2023 (including being a member of the “Freaks List” by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman for his impressive weight-room feats — 455-pound front squat, 375-pound power clean).
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Murphy ranked No. 16 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide: “Murphy doesn’t have ideal length, but his rare combination of lower-body twitch, natural leverage and power throughout his frame sets his apart. With his disruptive energy, both as a pass rusher and versus the run, he projects as an impact starter who can play shaded nose or three -technique, similar to Grady Jarrett.”
Coaching intel
What anonymous coaches had to say about Murphy in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“His movement skills are so good. He’s just really got ‘it.’ He plays nasty and with great leverage.”
“He was almost unblockable because he’s so quick and twitchy and has balance like a big-ass running back. He’s been coached well. The guy is just really disruptive. He was much more of a problem (than T’Vondre Sweat).”
Why he’s a first-round pick
Murphy’s statistics didn’t pop off the page during his one year as a starter for the Longhorns but were still good for an interior lineman. He tallied five sacks and 29 total tackles (eight tackles for a loss). And these stats likely opened eyes for NFL scouts: He finished 2023 with a team-best 45 pressures and ranked No. 1 among all FBS interior defensive linemen in pass rush win percentage (19.6 percent).
.@TexasFootball DL Byron Murphy II is nearly 300 pounds running a 4.88u 👀
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/c0y9xZUF5f— NFL (@NFL) February 29, 2024
Come back for more analysis of Byron Murphy later.
(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
