Here’s a prospect who often gets projected to the Lions at both No. 6 and No. 18 overall, reflecting the variety of scouting opinions.
Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 268 pounds (at Combine)
Murphy is 21 years old
A 5-star recruit who played for the national champion Tigers right away, Murphy proved capable as a pass rusher from the get-go. He turned in an excellent sophomore season in 2021 with seven sacks and 14.5 TFLs, often dominating his blocking mark on the edge.
His junior season saw Murphy fall back a bit statistically while playing in the same role, albeit with a slightly lesser surrounding cast. Murphy still performed well enough to earn second-team All-Conference and a spot on the Bruce Feldman “Freaks” list for his outstanding athletic prowess.
Pros
- Look the part physically with a muscular build and great height/weight combo for the position
- Wickedly effective spin move that he doesn’t overuse
- Great initial burst that eats up space on longer blockers
- Good upper-body power with strong shoulders that can torque off blocks
- Above-average speed that he uses well in backside pursuit in the run game
- Highly effective at setting an edge vs. the run
- Anticipates screens and gimmick plays well with quick reactions
- Sure tackler in the run game with excellent power and balance to finish in space
- Good timing with his initial punch on the pass rush; doesn’t just fire hands and it makes him more difficult to anticipate as a blocker
Cons
- Very unrefined pass rush moves if he doesn’t win with his initial quickness
- Poor separation from blocks as a pass rusher
- Tends to pop upright when blocked and loses his strength/leverage advantage
- Has yet to show he can sequence moves or set up rushes
- Unusually small hands (8.5 inches) and short arms (33 inches) for his height
- Has not shown the agility or change-of-direction ability to drop into coverage
- Has not really progressed as an overall player; largely at the exact same skill level as he was when arrived as a heralded recruit
Overall
Murphy is a tantalizing but also somewhat frustrating prospect. His physical gifts are obvious and effective; he might be the best run-defending EDGE to come along in a few years. Murphy has power, burst and great size to work with, and he’s shown he can win quickly and get to the QB.
The frustration comes from the weird volume of emptiness to his game. It’s not a lack of effort, not at all. Murphy just isn’t technically refined. The fact he hasn’t really progressed as a football player from age 18 to 21 is more than a little concerning. Yet even then, he’s got some impressive pelts on the wall and the ability to take over games in stretches. But there are prolonged stretches against good blockers (Syracuse, Notre Dame, South Carolina) where you don’t know he’s on the field in the passing game.
Valuing that is difficult. His impressive athleticism and the ability to devastate the run game are a very high floor even if Murphy never touches his pass-rush ceiling. But teams don’t spend top-30 picks on run defense at the EDGE. He’s too promising to underestimate, yet overrated based on proven skills at the same time. That’s quite the conundrum.
From a Detroit perspective, that’s a very high risk at No. 6. Yet it’s unrealistic to think Murphy will be there at No. 18.