Byron Murphy II
DL Texas 6-0 297 JR #90
PERFORMANCE GRADE: 4.08 POTENTIAL GRADE: 4.33 POSITIONAL RANK: 6
ARM LENGTH: 32 3/8”//HAND SIZE: 10 1/4”//40YD: 4.87 (95%)//10YD: 1.69 (92%)
VJ: 33” (94%)//BJ: 9’3” (85%)//BP: 28 (76%)//SS: 4.50 (87%)//3C: 7.50 (81%)
Projection: One–gap penetrating 3-technique who will need time to develop into an everyday starter because of run defense deficiency. Draft Projection: Top 15-20 (GrindingTheMocks.com)
Ravens Fit: Once upon a time the Ravens would never have touched Murphy because of the struggles he had when two-gapping. However, they are now happier to take guys who require more development as a run defender on the Defensive Line but show out in terms of their athleticism. Murphy certainly ticks that box but I’m concerned that his run defense is so far away that he will be down the Ravens board, quite significantly. He may become value for them if he falls far enough but the pass rush potential is so enticing that a team with a more suitable defensive front will take him earlier than the Ravens would.
Overall Fit 
3/5
Context
Splits time between 0 technique and 2/3 technique.
Pass Rush
Has frightening athleticism, particularly his vertical explosion, combined with a good ability to read run-pass and he’s quite consistent in the exceptional upfield burst he shows from down to down. His 2nd and 3rd step are equally good and it allows him to roll through the half-man. When he gets to the Offensive Linemen, he has well timed, well placed and remarkably violent hands that he can use to turn his blocker. He has a good plan for setting the OL up and keeping him off-balance, using his footwork and lateral explosion to keep the OL guessing and getting him to over-commit before winning emphatically with his hands. He’s able to get onto the back shoulder of Offensive Linemen with alarming regularity, even the better OL he faced in college struggled to deal with his explosive ability and the power in his hands. His most effective move is his club which is powerful and knocks Offensive Linemen off balance. He’s also able to convert speed to power and does have a straight bull rush but this can be countered by those OL with the ability to reset and re-anchor at a high level. But the his change of direction with his feet combined with his violent, fast, active hands are his fastball and they’re a handful. He moves like someone 50lbs lighter and this works particularly well on stunts where he can be too quick for Tackles as well as interior Offensive Linemen and he can corner well once he gets round the edge of the blocker, he has good finish to disengage and come free to the Quarterback but he’s more likely to pressure Quarterbacks than get a hit or a sack as QBs are able tom escape him in the pocket. He is relentless and has a high motor. OL that match his athleticism and process the game well are able to compete with him.
Vs Run
As a run defender, it’s a different story. His upfield burst is still good and as a 1-gap penetrator, he can end a running play in the blink of an eye. But he is a work in progress against most type of blocks. Against Gap blocks, he only reads the play quickly if the puller vacates across from him, in other situations, he won’t see down blocks coming and exposes his numbers to get washed completely out of the play. Against Zone blocking, he can get reached even by OL playing inside of him. When facing double teams, he shows the beginnings of the technique to occupy double teams but when he corkscrews his leg, he still gives up too much of his surface area to block and can collapse under the weight of the two blockers. The main challenge he has is with his hand usage, while he still places and times his strike well, when he locks out to gain leverage, he doesn’t have the core strength to hold up against Offensive Linemen with solid play strength.
SUMMARY
Pass rush potential is scary because of explosion and violent, active hands. Run defense needs a lot of work, doesn’t play with ideal play strength. Athleticism gives him a high upside.
PRODUCTION
SR: 6 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, 22 Total Tackles
JR: 1 Sack, 2 QB hits, 33 total tackles
INJURY: None
RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 5
Intelligence 4
Versatility 3
Grit 4
Scheme 2
