Tag: Byron Murphy II

Christian Haynes says he grew up a Seahawks fan, loves Geno Smith

Third-round pick Christian Haynes also grew up a Seattle fan despite being from the Maryland area.

Seahawks fans have been well represented by the team in the 2024 NFL draft in a literal sense. First-round pick Byron Murphy II grew up as a fan of the Legion of Boom despite living deep in Cowboys country. Third-round pick Christian Haynes also grew up a Seattle fan despite being from the Maryland area.

Being not too far from West Virginia, Haynes told reporters last night he’s also a big fan of Geno Smith’s game.

The first order of business for Haynes will be protecting Geno Smith, and he did an excellent job in that department during his time in college. Over the last two seasons at UConn, Haynes only allowed one sacks and two quarterback hits.

Last season Smith was under constant pressure, especially from the right side of the offensive line as the Seahawks struggled with starting right tackle Abe Lucas out with a knee injury for 11 games. Outside of Patrick Mahomes Smith avoided sacks as well as any NFL quarterback in 2023, but he still took 31 sacks, averaging just under two per game. Getting that number down will be critical if OC Ryan Grubb’s scheme is going to reach its peak this year.

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Seahawks had 4 offers to trade down from the No. 16 overall spot

Schneider said that Murphy was just too good to pass on, though.

How much do the Seahawks like Texas DT Byron Murphy II? Not as much as they liked Washington QB Michael Penix Jr., whom they tried to trade up into the top 10 for last night. However, they liked Murphy enough to pass on a handful of trade-down opportunities which general manager John Schneider adores so much.

After the first round ended last night Schneider told the media that he had four teams offering trade-up scenarios so the Seahawks could add more picks and capital later on in the draft. Schneider said that Murphy was just too good to pass on, though.

While it’s great to get the best interior pass rusher in the draft, not trading down also leaves Seattle in a quagmire heading into Day 2. Having sent their second-round pick to the Giants as part of the Leonard Williams trade, the team will not be on the clock again tonight until No. 81 overall in the middle of the third round.

In the meantime, a whole lot of excellent prospects are going to come off the board – including the offensive linemen they so desperately need. Let’s see if Schneider can pull off a move up for one of them.

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Twitter reacts to Seahawks picking Byron Murphy II at 16

Every pick made in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft

Byron Murphy II says he’s studied Seahawks great Michael Bennett a lot

Seattle fans now have legitimate hope that soon their defensive line will once again be the envy of the NFL.

The last time the Seattle Seahawks had a dominant defensive line it was when Cliff Avril was disrupting opponents from the edge, Red Bryant was stuffing everybody inside and Michael Bennett was wreaking havoc all over the place. Seattle fans now have legitimate hope that soon their defensive line will once again be the envy of the NFL.

Last night the team picked Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who is the top-ranked interior defensive linemen in the 2024 draft class. Even better, Murphy is a Seahawks fans who grew up idolozing the Legion of Boom and Marshawn Lynch. Murphy also says he studied Bennett a lot.

Murphy earned the highest pass rush grade in the nation last season at his position and also did splendid work against the run.

Bennett of course set a very high standard to match – to say nothing of all the Aaron Donald comps that Murphy got during draft season. One thing he does have in common with them is his ability to disrupt from multiple positions.

Murphy told the local media last night that he’s an all-three-downs type of guy. The team views him as a 3-tech who can also play nose tackle.

That means Murphy could replace either Jarran Reed or Dre’Mont Jones in the starting lineup if the Seahawks stick with their 3-4 fronts under new head coach Mike Macdonald. Throw in Leonard Williams and Seattle should have one of the best defensive lines in the league, at least on paper.

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2024 NFL draft: Updated order of picks going into Day 2

Twitter reacts to Seahawks picking Byron Murphy II at 16

Every pick made in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft

20 best players available for Ravens on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL draft

Day One of the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was a historic night. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, and 23 offensive players were selected, the most ever. Baltimore was able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the …

Day One of the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was a historic night. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, and 23 offensive players were selected, the most ever.

Baltimore was able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the board without trading up.

Rounds two and three will play out on Friday night, and the Eagles will have two picks in Round 2 and none in Round 3.

Here is our list of the best players on the board during day two of the NFL draft.

Every pick made in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft

Here’s how all 32 picks went down on the first night of the draft.

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft played out exactly as expected… for about seven picks. When the Atlanta Falcons came on the clock at No. 8 overall all hell broke loose as they made an all-time stunning pick, selecting Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. despite already having signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year deal just last month.

From there, the offensive picks continued all the way up to No. 15, which helped set the Seattle Seahawks up to land the top defensive line prospect in this class. Here’s how all 32 picks went down on the first night of the draft.

2024 NFL draft: Updated order of picks going into Day 2

2024 NFL draft: Scouting report for new Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II

Murphy is undersized but comes with extremely rare athleticism for his position.

The Seahawks used their first pick in the Mike Madonald era building up their defensive line, selecting Byron Murphy II out of Texas. Considered the top interior prospect in the 2024 NFL draft class, Murphy is undersized but comes with extremely rare athleticism for his position.

At the scouting combine, Murphy checked in at 6-foot-1, 308 pounds with 32.375″ arms and 10.25″ hands. He posted a 4.87 forty-yard dash, a 33″ vertical, a 9’3″ broad jump and 28 bench press reps.

On the field, Seattle will be getting an accomplished run defender and a brilliant pass rusher with a combination of sudden power and quickness. Here’s what the scouting report from Lance Zierlein at NFL.com had to say about Murphy’s game:

“Twitchy first-step quickness combined with flexion and power in his lower half create a recipe for disruption as a gap shooter or as a pass rusher. Murphy is powerful and well-schooled at taking on double-teams but lacks ideal mass and length for that role long-term. He’s successful at bypassing protection with sudden hands and quick feet, while his motor and passion create an activity level coaches will love.”

Murphy will boost what was already a strong defensive line on paper, having earned strong grades in run defense (80.5) and an elite grade in pass rushing (91.5) this past season. In college he lined up all over the Texas defensive line, so he should be able to earn significant playing time as a rookie.

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Watch: Texas highlights for new Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II

Watch: DT Byron Murphy II Texas highlights

The Seattle Seahawks decided to stay put at pick No. 16, and it’s a good thing they did. Seattle is bringing a major reinforcement to their defensive line with Texas Longhorn standout Byron Murphy II. The first pick of the Mike Macdonald era is one on his side of the ball.

Widely considered to be among, if not the best defensive tackle prospects, Murphy is going to provide a considerable boost to Seattle’s defense.

While there are those who would have liked to see the Seahawks trade back to regain a second round pick, it is hard to not get excited when watching Murphy’s collegiate highlights.

Of course, my personal favorite was his rushing touchdown (yes, you read that right) in the Sugar Bowl against the University of Washington.

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Seahawks select DT Byron Murphy II at No. 16 overall

Seattle commits to fixing the run with Byron Murphy II

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Analysis: Seahawks commit to upgrading run defense with Byron Murphy II

For two years now, the Seahawks have been among the worst teams in the NFL at stopping opposing rushing attacks.

Easily the No. 1 task for head coach Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks is to finally fix their porous run defense. For two years now, the Seahawks have been among the worst teams in the NFL at stopping opposing rushing attacks. This is simply untenable when you share a division with the San Francisco 49ers, who have beaten you in each of the last five meetings due to their ability to move the ball at will on the ground.

Thus, it makes sense the first pick in the Macdonald era is Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Byron Murphy II at No. 16 overall. Macdonald, a former defensive coordinator, is now adding Murphy into the mix alongside Leonard Williams and Dre’Mont Jones for this defensive line.

Murphy is considered to be one of the best defensive tackle prospects this year and became the first one off the board in the 2024 NFL draft. Additionally, thanks to the string of 14 consecutive offensive players selected, he was the second defensive player taken.

Given Seattle’s needs across the board and lack of a second-round pick, many expected the Seahawks would trade back in the draft. Instead, they selected a position of need, one that many expected them to address at No. 5 overall last year.

Murphy joins an interestingly long legacy of Texas standouts to end up in the Emerald City, including Earl Thomas, Quandre Diggs, Michael Dickson and Poona Ford. Turns out the interest in the Longhorns did not end with the departure of Pete Carroll.

Additionally, the fan and media reaction to Seattle drafting Murphy has been overwhelmingly positive. This is now three straight drafts where folks have been happy with the Seahawks’ actions in the first round.

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Seahawks select DT Byron Murphy II at No. 16 overall

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Seattle Seahawks select Texas DI Byron Murphy II with the 16th overall pick. Grade: B-

The Seahawks took a great player in Byron Murphy II, but they could have done better.

New Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is one of the NFL’s finest defensive minds, so you have to back off a bit if you don’t like this pick. But in a draft where Seattle had the pick of every defensive player except Laiatu Latu, I’m of two minds about the Murphy choice. I had Illinois’ Johnny Newton as my top interior defensive lineman, and with all the edge talent here matching the Seahawks’ needs there, I’m not a fan. Murphy is a very good player, but given the way this fell, he’d have been seventh or eighth on my list. 

A four-star recruit out of DeSoto High Scholl in DeSoto, Texas, Murphy was high-school teammates with current NFL receiver Laviska Shenault, and he broke Von Miller’s DeSoto record for sacks in a season with 14. Murphy chose Texas over several other major programs, and specifically after a brief stint of commitment to Baylor.

In 2023, his third season on the field for the Longhorns, Murphy totaled six sacks, three quarterback hits, 36 quarterback hurries, 21 stops, and 15 solo tackles. Despite being double-teamed frequently (251 double-teams of some kind in his 438 overall snaps), Murphy was consistently productive, and put together his best collegiate season.

PLUSES

— Relentless effort through the pocket; had a sack against Iowa State in which the RG threw him to the ground and Murphy got up and got it done. He’s on your ass from snap to whistle.

— Can just forklift dudes when he’s got his leverage together; upper-body strength shows up there

— Has the quickness and lateral agility to hit gaps running back-style and will jump 1-2 gaps and back to do it

— VERY quick feet; he’s prone to throwing WR-level foot fakes at some confused offensive linemen

MINUSES

— Does alright against double teams with rip and swim moves, but I’d like to see him expand his technical palette.

— As all-out as he is, that lack of nasty hand stuff can have him wrestling too often when he needs to disengage

— Might stand to put on a bit of weight; looks a tad light in some power situations

Right now, Murphy is an interesting hybrid player who combines breakneck play with time in which you’re yelling at him to get out of the block. I think he’ll be a good 3T/4i in his first NFL season, with breakout potential as he reaps the benefits of NFL coaching.

Seahawks pick Texas DT Byron Murphy II at No. 16 overall

With the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks have picked Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

With the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks have picked Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

Jordan Schultz was the first to report the news.

Murphy (6-foot-1, 308 pounds) is just the second defensive prospect taken so far after the Colts selected UCLA edge Laiatu Latu with the previous pick. All together, Murphy totaled eight sacks and 15 tackles for a loss in three seasons with the Longhorns.

Murphy is considered the best defensive line prospect overall and the top interior pass rusher in this draft class, earning a nation-best 91.5 pass rush grade at his position last season. Overall Murphy improved significantly each year at Texas, posting a 73.3 grade in 2021, followed by an 82.7 grade in 2022, then a 91.1 in 2023.

Murphy should project as a starter right away.

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