New York Giants Draft Prospect: IDL Byron Murphy

The search for new Giants continues with a look at a potential defensive lineman.

Byron Murphy II, IDL

Height: 6’1
Weight: 308 lbs.
Class: Junior
School: Texas
Stats

A former four-star recruit out of DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas, where he was the 45th-ranked recruit in Texas and the 39th-ranked defensive lineman during the 2021 cycle. Murphy II played in all 12 games as a true freshman, and he played in all 13 games as a sophomore.  

Murphy II was the Big-12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and a First-Team All-Big 12 selection. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the second-highest-graded defensive lineman in college football this year, just behind fellow Longhorn T’Vondre Sweat. Murphy II was the highest-graded pass-rushing DL in college football.

Murphy II had 45 pressures and 36 hurries in 2023. Byron Murphy accepted an invite to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl but did not participate in the event.

Strengths

• Shorter target with solid thickness in his lower-half
• Carries his weight well
• Was No. 18 on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List
• Excellent athlete with exceptional quickness and balance
• Very explosive off the snap - excellent upfield burst
• Changes direction swiftly - great bend and good ankle flexion
• Rare ability to stay low at the point of contact
• Rare natural leverage at the point of attack
• Exceptionally rare center of gravity
• Hips/base get very low - plays with elite extension vs. run when necessary
• Excellent understanding of angles in the trenches
• Heavy hands that jolt
• Very good run defender with a knack for splitting double teams
• Does well to anchor on the LOS
• Good overall play strength as a pass rusher
• Flashed ability to convert speed to power
• Absorbs base blocks well and is quick to shed
• Good at anticipating down blocks and working the half-man
• Absorbed TRAP and pullers well due to his leverage and strength
• Exceptionally quick hands as a pass rusher
• Wins with quickness in a phone booth
• Array of moves to separate - slippery target to block
• Elite swim move to create separation at the POA
• Excellent timing, placement, and execution with his hands when operating the half-man
• Solid timing and plan with his hands when square to target
• Showed ability to string moves together (push-pull/swim; club/swim)
• Low leverage allows him to land rip move
• Elite competitor

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Weaknesses

• Shorter, which can be a disadvantage in some situations
• Arms will likely be short
• Aggressiveness led to missed tackles and him running himself out of plays
• Can do a better job getting to his second move when his first is stopped
• Is fine against double teams; however, he did “struggle” vs. Iowa State and Wyoming in 2023 - but this frequently allowed his LBs to aggressively attack for little to no gain

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Byron Murphy II is an explosive defensive lineman who threatens blockers with his disruptive quickness to penetrate offenses. He has a naturally rare center of gravity and plays with rare leverage, which is critical to playing in the trenches. His ability to play the run, anchor in place, use burst/bend to win the half-man, and his flashes of converting his speed to power are reasons his floor and ceiling are both high. His ideal fit is a three-technique in an EVEN front, but he’s not limited to any defensive structure.

GRADE: 6.71

Nick Falato

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