Jaylan Ford, Byron Murphy speak to the media ahead of their NFL Combine workouts

The first day of the 2024 NFL Combine features Longhorns Byron Murphy, a likely first round pick, and Jaylan Ford, a senior leader whose track record has him in contention for an early day three selection

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Defensive linemen and linebackers are scheduled to go through testing and drills starting on Thursday, and the Longhorns will be represented by Murphy and Ford when things get going in Indianapolis. The NFL Network will air the day’s events starting at 2 p.m. Central.

Before Murphy and Ford take to the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, they met with the media on Wednesday to discuss teams they’ve spoken to and goals for this week as part of the most important job interview of their careers.

Byron Murphy, DT

Murphy has seen his name appear in the first round of various mock drafts in recent weeks, including Mel Kiper’s most recent mock draft that projected the Raiders would pick the DeSoto (Texas) product with the 13th overall pick.

When asked about players Murphy tries to model his game after, he mentioned star defensive linemen like Ed Oliver, Daron Payne, and Aaron Donald. During his media availability, he said he would prefer to play in a 4-3.

Murphy reportedly met with almost every team in the league this week leading up to the Combine. But when asked about potentially playing for his hometown team in Dallas, the excitement was obvious.

“It would mean a lot,” Murphy said Wednesday when asked about playing for the Cowboys. “I’m from Dallas. It would be a blessing to play back home and play for my home city. It would mean a lot for sure.”

Playing for the other Texas-based NFL franchise was something welcomed by Murphy as well.

“It would mean a lot getting drafted by Houston,” Murphy said. “Just staying in Texas, I’m familiar with that because I’m from Texas. It would mean a lot playing for Demeco Ryans, a young African-American coach. That would mean a lot to me.”

Despite both of those statements, it seems more and more unlikely that Murphy will be available to Houston at 23 or Dallas at 24.

Murphy was also asked about how much playing alongside T’Vondre Sweat helped his draft stock and the Longhorns defensive line this year.

“Playing with a guy like that, it makes it easier for me,” Murphy said. “It also makes it easier for him. We just pushed each other every day just trying to be great. We competed every day. We took a big step leading the defensive line. I feel like we led them in the right way.”

When asked about standout Longhorns who could be at the Combine in a couple of years, one of the younger players on Pete Kwiatkowski‘s defense quickly came to mind in Anthony Hill.

“When it’s time for him to come do this process, I feel like he’s going to be a first round guy,’ Murphy said. “Just be on the lookout for him.”

Jaylan Ford, LB

Ahead of his Combine workout, Ford said he had a number of meetings including with the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, the Houston Texans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Indianapolis Colts.

During his time with the Texans, Ford mentioned they emphasized some of the principles of their defense (that happen to coincide with the franchise’s marketing tagline).

“I talked to the Texans, they were just telling me the main thing is swarm to the ball, play fast, and be physical,” Ford said. “Just worry about getting to the ball, having effort, things like that. They were telling me if you have those things, you can be a great linebacker.”

He also discussed the idea of playing for his hometown team, the Cowboys, alongside former Texas teammate DeMarvion Overshown.

“I met with them briefly,” Ford said. “We talked about my film, being intelligent, and what type of defense they’re running. It would mean a lot. It would be interesting for sure. Being a hometown kid, it would definitely be a dream come true.”

Ford believes he is valuable as a draft prospect because he can be the “quarterback of the defense.”

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“The main thing is just making sure you’re prepared all the time, and not really thinking about making mistakes,” Ford said. “Just being fast and being assertive. When you get in a room, you’ve got to be loud. You’ve got to be confident. You’ve got to make them thing what you’re saying is right, almost like being a coach.”