What makes Texas DL Byron Murphy a can't-miss NFL Draft prospect

Going into the 2024 NFL Draft, one of the premier draft prospects is Texas Longhorns interior defensive lineman Byron Murphy.

On3 Scouting and Ranking assistant Cody Bellaire has a longstanding relationship with Byron Murphy, going back to when he worked for Baylor in the player personnel department. Even back then, Bellaire knew he was a can’t-miss prospect that Baylor ended up missing on, as he explained during an appearance on Andy Staples On3.

“It’s borderline triggering,” Cody Bellaire said. “It’s Byron Murphy… Hey, Byron Murphy is playing a bunch of ass-kickers. I promise, in Dallas. He’s playing a bunch of dudes. So, when we were at Baylor, this is one that we were super in it for.”

Byron Murphy played high school football at DeSoto (Texas), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 380 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“Like, we had him committed to us during the summer prior to his senior season. Then, we make it through summer. We make it through the majority of the season, and there was one school that if that Austin area code came up, we were screwed. Because we felt that Austin was one of those with Bo Davis, right? Bo Davis is there. He’s got a great track record. University of Texas, right, it’s a blue blood. It’s a matter of if Bo Davis wanted that guy, it was over.”

Ultimately, Cody Bellaire explained that Byron Murphy did flip to Texas from Baylor, and even though he went about things the right way it was still a major blow, especially because his size could have made him easy to overlook for a school like Texas.

“It’s tough because Byron you had to look at it from a measurables perspective. Byron doesn’t fit the prototypical mold for a first round defensive tackle. This is a guy that is sniffing 6-1. He’s 300lbs but he’s strong as an ox. Like he’s a fire hydrant and you will not move him. He plays low to the ground. He plays with crazy leverage. It was one of those at Baylor where we felt we could get away with this one. This is someone that maybe the big boys aren’t necessarily going after, and when Texas made the call we had to give them the tip of the cap because they felt this was someone that they could plug in and have a role for,” Bellaire said.

“And sure enough he was dominant every year he played at the college level and it’s looking like he’s gonna be a day one pick.”

The lack of traditional size for a defensive tackle is something that could have made the NFL overlook Byron Murphy in the past too. However, he’s currently projected as a first round pick. Bellaire explained that this is because the game changes over time and Murphy has what the NFL wants.

“It’s tough for us. Charles [Power] and I have a really tough gig in that perspective because I mentioned to you before we started, I think Louis Riddick put out a tweet or something a couple of months ago where he said it’s becoming tougher and tougher for NFL teams and departments to project how these college athletes are going to play at the NFL level because the game is changing. It’s always evolving and you never know how these NFL guys are going to look in three or four or five years because the NFL is changing. Well, it’s even tougher for us as we project for the NFL Draft,” Bellaire said.

“We have to do it four or five years prior to NFL teams doing it. So, for us, it’s something that we talk about all the time. Charles and I are constantly, basically, saying, ‘Hey, what’s the next thing that’s happening? What’s the next thing that’s gonna change?'”

Byron Murphy is fast and does have good arm length. Because of that, the fact that he’s short by NFL defensive line standards doesn’t matter as much.

“Right now…the defensive tackles are maybe getting a little shorter. You’re seeing 6-1, 6-2 guys get drafted. However, arm length is still king because even if you are shorter, you still have to win the battle of leverage. That’s about getting your hands on guys first. But, to your point, it’s the twitch. It’s the athleticism. That is mattering more and more to these NFL teams and that is always gonna win out. At the college level and the NFL level.”