Tag: Byron Murphy

Instant 2024 NFL Draft grades: Seattle Seahawks select Byron Murphy, IDL, Texas 16th overall

Instant 2024 NFL Draft grades: Seattle Seahawks select Byron Murphy, IDL, Texas 16th overall

The Seattle Seahawks continue to build a staggeringly talented defensive unit by adding the best interior defender in this entire class with the selection of Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy.

Murphy projects as the immediate starter in the middle of a loaded Seattle defense and has the ability to be the disrupting, electric interior pass-rushing force this team has been missing.

A massive human who posted an incredible pass rushing win rate with raw talent that begs to be molded, Murphy is going to cement himself as a force in the NFC West and make that Seattle secondary even better by forcing earlier throws. Don’t be surprised if Murphy is a 10-sack man from the get-go.

Grade: A

Seahawks select Texas DT Byron Murphy in the first round of 2024 NFL draft

Texas DT Byron Murphy is the first Longhorn off the board!

Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy is the first Longhorn off the board in the 2024 NFL draft. Continue reading “Seahawks select Texas DT Byron Murphy in the first round of 2024 NFL draft”

Cameron Jordan has a hot take on Saints’ first-round pick: ‘I’m very biased’

Cameron Jordan has a hot take on what the Saints should do with their first-round pick: ‘I’m very biased’

Everyone has their own ideas about what the New Orleans Saints should do with their first round pick in the 2024 NFL draft — including players already on the team. Cameron Jordan sat down with NFL Network to preview the first round of selections on Thursday, and he shared his take on where the Saints should look to improve with the 14th overall pick.

“Who do I want? I’m very biased,” Jordan laughed. “If y’all are thinking top-10, offense galore, I’m thinking No. 14, defense. Run me the big defensive tackle. I like the little Florida State kid. I really like a Texas D-tackle. Just know, if it doesn’t happen in the first I’m still looking for our second or our fifth round pick. I think we have like four fifth round picks, we could trade up.”

The players Jordan is referring to there have been linked to the Saints at different points in this process: Florida State’s Braden Fiske and Texas products Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat.

Jordan’s position coach Todd Grantham attended both school’s pro day workouts and personally put Fiske through his paces. While Murphy is someone who could be realistic at No. 14, Fiske and Sweat are each expected to be picked later in the draft, which is why Jordan sees them as possible trade targets.

But why does he see defensive tackle as such a high priority? Jordan is always asking for more linemen around draft time in these media spots, whether it’s another pass rusher or more depth on the interior. At this point it’s part of his brand. Murphy would be an awesome pairing with Bryan Bresee in the middle of the line, but the Saints really can’t afford to not address their offensive tackle spots in Round 1. Maybe they’ll surprise us and make Jordan happy.

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Colts get Texas IDL Byron Murphy in Peter Schrager’s final 2024 mock draft

In Peter Schrager’s final 2024 mock draft, the Colts get Texas IDL Byron Murphy. Here is a breakdown of that pick.

With the 2024 NFL Draft almost here, we will be reviewing and breaking down the first-round predictions for the Indianapolis Colts in final 2024 mock drafts from a few of the most prominent analysts in the business:

Mock draft: Peter Schrager – NFL.com

Pick 15th overall: Byron Murphy, IDL, Texas

What Schrager had to say: “The Colts could trade down or up on Thursday night. In this scenario, I have them staying put and picking Murphy, a fast-rising DT, who could end up being selected even earlier than this.”

Colts Wire’s breakdown: A position of strength for the Colts gets even stronger with the addition of Murphy. From Day 1, Murphy is a three-down defender who can impact both the run and the passing games. He’s an excellent athlete and played out of both the A and B-gaps at Texas. Murphy led all interior defenders last season in pass-rush win rate and ranked 41st in run-stop rate.

Positional need: Well, there isn’t much of one. If the Colts were to take Murphy it’s all about taking the best avialble player on their board. This offseason, the Colts re-signed Grover Stewart to a three-year deal. They extended DeForest Buckner through 2026 and signed Raekwon Davis to a two-year deal. With that said, success for any defense starts with a quick push up the middle, and the Colts would have a top-end rotation.

Player Info

Height: 6-0
Weight: 297
Age: 21
40-yard dash: 4.87 seconds
Vertical leap: 33″
Broad jump: 9-03
Three-cone: 7.5 seconds
Short shuttle: 4.5 seconds
Bench press: 28
RAS: 9.20
Pre-draft visit: No
Senior Bowl: Yes

Consensus big board ranking: 13th

Daniel Jeremiah’s draft profile: “Murphy is a very explosive, nimble and instinctive defensive tackle. He is a dynamic disruptor against the pass game. He explodes out of his stance and can roll his hips on contact, creating instant push. He consistently gets underneath blockers and prevails in the leverage battle. He has quick hands to win with swipe moves, a push/pull maneuver or a violent club. Once he feels a blocker leaning left or right, he has elite change-of-direction quickness. Against the run, he can utilize his quickness to penetrate and create negative plays. He also has incredible balance to take on blocks while going to one knee before uncoiling and making plays. (I haven’t seen anyone else use this technique before, but it’s very effective.) He has plenty of range to make plays laterally. Overall, Murphy might lack ideal size, but he’s a leverage machine who makes an impact on all three downs.”

Texas’ Murphy, Mitchell, Worthy look to be selected in first round of NFL Draft

The NFL Draft starts Thursday with round one in Detroit. Texas could have three players selected on the opening night.

The 2024 NFL Draft starts Thursday with round one in Detroit. Continue reading “Texas’ Murphy, Mitchell, Worthy look to be selected in first round of NFL Draft”

Dane Brugler believes that Bears will consider Byron Murphy at No. 9

If the top-three receivers are off the board at No. 9, Dane Brugler believes the Bears could have eyes for DT Byron Murphy II.

The Chicago Bears are preparing for a franchise-defining 2024 NFL draft. While there’s no question what they’ll do with the first overall pick (hello, Caleb Williams), they have a big decision to make with the ninth overall selection.

Will they take a player to add depth on defense or will they give Williams more help?

The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler shared his thoughts on what he believes could happen at No. 9. Assuming the top three wide receivers — Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze — are off the board, he thinks Chicago could target Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

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Brugler noted that Murphy would fit in well with Matt Eberflus’s scheme, giving them the disruptive three-tech they’re missing.

This could be a great move for the Bears if it happened. They already traded for Montez Sweat last year and it turned their play on defense around. If they added someone like Murphy, they would solidify their pass rush in a big way.

During his pre-draft press conference, general manager Ryan Poles said an interior pass rusher, like Murphy, is “probably a preference when you have an outside guy.” And we know the Bears already have that guy in Sweat.

This is a very big draft for Poles. If Williams and whoever they take at nine turns into studs, Chicago could prosper for a long time. Brugler’s scenario makes a lot of sense for the organization.

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12 prospects for Broncos at pick No. 12 of the 2024 NFL draft

The Broncos are set to pick 12th overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are 12 players who could fall to that spot.

The 2024 NFL draft is set to begin on Thursday and (barring a trade) the Denver Broncos will select 12th overall in the first round. 

We already have a pretty good idea of which players will be picked before the Broncos go on the clock. Quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are all expected to go early, followed by receivers Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. Offensive lineman Joe Alt is also likely to go off the board before Denver picks at No. 12. 

So, who will be left for Denver? 

We’ve put together a quick list of 12 players who — hypothetically — have a chance of falling to the Broncos. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, and the draft always features multiple surprises, but at least half of the players on this list should be available when Denver is set to pick at No. 12. 

The two most “unrealistic” options included are Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner, but there are scenarios in which one or both of them could fall to the Broncos. 

Check out our full list of 12 potential targets for Denver below. 

Broncos confident they can land a ‘really good player’ at No. 12

“We have flexibility, but we do know at 12 — if we stand pat — we are going to get a really good player,” Broncos GM George Paton said.

The 2024 NFL draft is less than a week away and the Denver Broncos are set to pick 12th overall in the first round (barring a trade).

Broncos general manager George Paton said during a pre-draft press conference on Thursday that the team will be flexible on draft night, but they are confident top talent will be on the board if they don’t make a trade.

“[W]e feel good with where we are at,” Paton said. “We have eight picks, and we have the 12th pick in the draft. One thing we know is that we are going to get a really good player at 12. We’ve had teams call to move up, and we’ve had teams call to move back. We have flexibility, but we do know at 12 — if we stand pat — we are going to get a really good player.”

It’s possible that Paton is posturing to make teams below Denver believe they are willing to stay put at No. 12, increasing the price to trade up to that spot. Then again, it’s not unreasonable to suggest a top talent will be available when the Broncos go on the clock, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

As offensive players fly off the board, star defenders like Alabama edge defender Dallas Turner, Crimson Tide cornerback Terrion Arnold, FSU pass rusher Jared Verse, Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu could fall to No. 12. Even Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy could be an option at that spot.

Denver won’t reveal its plans ahead of the draft, but if the team opts to stand pat at No. 12, there will be plenty of talented options still on the board.

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Three Longhorns land in first round of CBS Sports’ latest NFL mock draft

It will be interesting to see if both Mitchell and Worthy sneak into the first round next week.

We’re now less than a week away from the start of the 2024 NFL draft. Continue reading “Three Longhorns land in first round of CBS Sports’ latest NFL mock draft”

Byron Murphy first Longhorn off board in Mel Kiper’s latest NFL mock draft

Mel Kiper released a two-round mock draft recently.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper released a two-round mock draft Wednesday morning, with defensive tackle Byron Murphy being the first Texas Longhorns football player taken No. 18 to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Kiper cited how Murphy led the Big 12 with 33 quarterback pressures in 2023 and found a home on the inside of the Texas defensive line. Murphy finished with 29 tackles and five sacks during the season.

Four total Longhorns were featured in the list, including receivers Xavier Worthy (No. 23 to the Los Angeles Chargers) and Adonai Mitchell (No. 29 to the Detroit Lions). Worthy registered 1,014 yards on 75 catches, hauling in five touchdowns. Mitchell caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Running back Jonathon Brooks, who has been making waves across draft coverage, was slotted at No. 56 to the Dallas Cowboys by Kiper.