Tag: Byron Murphy

Were Rams targeting Byron Murphy II before Seahawks drafted him?

Maurice Jones-Drew, a radio analyst for the Rams, says LA was planning to draft Byron Murphy II before the Seahawks took him at No. 16

The Los Angeles Rams were thrilled to land Jared Verse at No. 19 overall in the draft, securing one of the top edge rushers in the 2024 class – a player they thought might be off the board by the time they went on the clock in Round 1.

We know they tried to trade up for tight end Brock Bowers, and they also might’ve had their eye on another player in the first round: Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

Maurice Jones-Drew, who calls Rams games on the radio, told Seattle-based podcast Bump and Stacy that Los Angeles was going to take Murphy at No. 19 if the Seahawks hadn’t selected him three picks prior.

“I know the Rams were going to take Byron Murphy if you guys didn’t,” Jones-Drew said. “He has the body type (and) the potential to be what Aaron Donald was for the Rams, a guy that can be disruptive, take over games from the inside. The guard position in the National Football League isn’t the best right now. So you get a piece that can really penetrate the pocket and put pressure on the quarterback. … To me, he was (one of) the top three pass rushers up there.”

The connection between the Rams and Murphy makes sense following the retirement of Aaron Donald, with Los Angeles looking for defensive line help this offseason. Murphy was the top interior defender in the draft and would’ve been a great selection for the Rams, just as Verse was.

Another report from Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda linked the Rams to Murphy, as well. According to Pauline, who visited Seahawks rookie minicamp, the Rams and Eagles both tried to trade up to No. 16. Los Angeles was targeting Murphy, while the Eagles wanted Quinyon Mitchell.

Neither actually happened, but Seattle had offers to move the pick. Sources tell me that two teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, attempted to move up and acquire Seattle’s selection. The Rams wanted Murphy. The Eagles were concerned they would lose out on cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

Again, the Rams are elated to have Verse in their building, and they also love that they were able to land Braden Fiske in Round 2. But it seems like there are some breadcrumbs linking them to Murphy, who might’ve been their primary target after Bowers.

Seahawks played coy by not meeting with Byron Murphy II before draft

Seahawks played coy by not meeting with Byron Murphy II before draft

It should come as no surprise to any 12th Man when I say the Seattle Seahawks have a brilliant man as general manger in John Schneider. In a league where this position where job security is low, Schneider has remained in his role for over a decade at a high level.

His wizardry comes in what he is able to do in the draft. Typically, his strengths have come by finding gems in the later rounds, but recently his actions in the first round have been stellar. The latest example is defensive tackle Byron Murphy II from Texas.

It isn’t just that Schneider was able to draft him, it’s how he helped make it happen. Schneider played his cards pretty close to his vest and threw other teams off the scent that Seattle was interested. According to Brady Henderson at ESPN,

“The Seahawks did not host Murphy on a 30 visit before the draft. In fact, Schneider said he played it coy by avoiding any direct contact with him. To feel comfortable with Murphy the individual, he had to rely on his scouts as well as on his relationship with Murphy’s agent, Ron Slavin, with whom Schneider is close.”

Whatever tactics Schneider employed, it clearly worked. Murphy is now a Seahawk, ready to help give a considerable boost to the ailing defensive line.

More Seahawks Wire stories

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Updated Seahawks 90-man roster by jersey # with UDFAs

53-man roster projection for Seahawks after the NFL draft

Seahawks announce they signed 16 undrafted free agents

Former Texas DT Byron Murphy agrees to rookie contract with Seattle Seahawks

Murphy agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year rookie contract with a fifth-year option.

Texas’ top draft prospect has inked his rookie deal. Continue reading “Former Texas DT Byron Murphy agrees to rookie contract with Seattle Seahawks”

Five Longhorns selected within first 52 picks of 2024 NFL draft

Player development at Texas is at an all-time high.

After Texas did not have a single player selected in 2022, the Longhorns have been well-represented in the 2024 NFL draft. It’s a testament to the player development under Steve Sarkisian’s staff over the last few years.

Texas has had five players selected within the first 52 picks. Defensive tackle Byron Murphy was the first Longhorn off the board to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 16.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to snag speedy wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round with pick No. 28.

Day 2 has been a busy one for former Longhorns as well. Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat (Tennessee Titans), running back Jonathon Brooks (Carolina Panthers) and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (Indianapolis Colts) were all selected in the second round.

For two straight NFL drafts, the Longhorns have now produced the No. 1 running back off the board. Bijan Robinson went No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and Brooks was the first running back taken off the board to the Panthers in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The future is bright for the Texas football program.

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How Texas DT Byron Murphy fits with the Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks selected Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II in the first pick of the Mike MacDonald era.

The Seattle Seahawks selected Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II in the first pick of the Mike MacDonald era. Continue reading “How Texas DT Byron Murphy fits with the Seattle Seahawks”

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.

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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”