Rookie Profile: Byron Murphy, Interior Linemen, Seattle Seahawks
Welcome to the Rookie Profile for Byron Murphy a 4-star prospect out of Desoto High School in Desoto, Texas. He had 20 offers before committing to Baylor in June of 2020. Before the year was over he would decommit from Baylor. In November of 2020, he would commit to Texas.
During his freshman season with the Longhorns, he immediately made an impact. He gains two total sacks. But more impressively Murphy had 10 total run stops with 11 total pressures.
In his sophomore season, he saw a snap count increase by nearly 60 total snaps. He found more success when adding pressure behind the line of scrimmage. Murphy had 19 total pressures with 16 QB hurries. Sadly, he only had one sack.
Year over year Murphy continued to improve. His junior season was no different. An increase in snaps came allowing him to gain 40 total pressures! Of those pressures, 5 turned into sacks. Plus, he had 19 run stops! This triumph would earn him an invite to the Senior Bowl.
Measurables
Draft Capital & Landing Spot
Draft Capital- Round 1 Pick 16
- The Seattle Seahawks wasted no time addressing a glaring hole in their defense. They locked up their defensive line by adding an explosive interior lineman in Byron Murphy. For many Bryon Murphy was the best interior lineman in this draft. This makes sense considering his brute strength mixed with his speed allows him to attack opposing quarterbacks effortlessly.
Landing Spot- Seattle Seahawks
- Byron Murphy could not have landed in a more perfect spot. He should get an immediate role in the starting lineup. Murphy can draw double teams, yet still be effective is causing pressure. The best part is though it will be hard for any team to double-team him when Leonard Williams and Dre’Mont Jones are causing pressure on the outside too.
Team Depth Chart
Expected Role: Starting Interior Lineman
Depth Chart via Fantasy Pros
Fantasy Impact
Byron Murphy has the talent to be a stud for the Seattle Seahawks defense. However, being an interior defensive lineman and being fantasy-relevant do not always go hand-in-hand. Murphy would need to compile at least 30 tackles with 8 or more sacks to have any relevancy. Although this is possible he might be better on your taxi squad year one rather than in your starting lineup.
The Seahawks have focused on building their defensive front between this off-season and last year’s off-season. That is great for their team, but for our fantasy team, it means there are multiple mouths to feed. Not everybody can get the tackle and/or sack. I love the talent Murphy brings, but I am not targeting him until the later rounds of my IDP draft.
Check out our 2024 Rookie Rankings Page for a full breakdown of this rookie class.
