The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Byron Murphy.
Murphy was one of my most enjoyable evaluations of any player in the 2024 draft class. He showed a high-level combination of power, quickness, explosiveness, relentless energy and an outstanding playing personality.
Murphy is a sudden, twitchy, almost freaky athlete with startling movement traits. He played low to the ground, maximizing his power and explosion and making it challenging for interior OL to control him. He stalemated and defeated double-team blocks with outstanding leverage and strength in confined spaces, rarely getting displaced out of his gap and making tackles when he defeated them.
As a pass rusher, he consistently showed off-the-ball explosiveness with the leverage, power and flexibility to drive through blockers and beat them. He also showed quickness and active violent hand usage.
Murphy played multiple DT positions in Texas' defensive front alignments and is, without question, position- and scheme-versatile. But he likely profiles and projects most effectively as a three-technique in a one-gap four-man DL front to take maximum advantage of his sudden explosiveness as a pass rusher and as a gap penetrator in the run game. Murphy is the most dominant DT prospect in the 2024 draft class. He will be an immediate contributor and maybe even an impact player in his rookie season.
Murphy played three years at Texas starting in 16 of his 39 career games. In 2023, Murphy was the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and a Second-team All-American.
Murphy played multiple DT positions in Texas four-man defensive front alignments, including zero-technique and three-technique. There were third-down snaps in which Murphy lined up at wide-nine. He beat BYU LT Kingsley Saumataia with an inside counter, driving through Suamataia’s inside shoulder and hitting Kedon Slovis just as he released the ball.
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