The Seattle Seahawks were one of the biggest benefactors of the surge in quarterbacks and offensive players in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Seattle selected Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, the consensus top talent at the position, with the 16th overall choice.
Murphy will be under immediate pressure to justify his selection as the second defensive player off the board by contributing for a Seattle defense that was among the worst in the NFL last season.
When he arrived in Seattle, he joined a team that was transitioning to a more sophisticated scheme, with former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald succeeding longtime head coach Pete Carroll after the Seahawks missed the playoffs in 2023. The change in MacDonald’s approach may increase the learning curve, and there will be worries about a player whose career-high sack total in college was five in 2023.
But, according to Pro Football Focus, Murphy’s 45 pressures last year were the second-most among interior defensive lineman eligible for the 2024 selection, and he has already left an impression on at least one colleague.
Boye Mafe, a Seahawks edge rusher, recently spoke on the ‘Green Light’ podcast with former NFL defensive end Chris Long about why he believes the former Longhorn is in a great position to live up to the promise.
“I saw him at OTAs, and I’m excited,” Mafe stated. “He’s powerful, quick, and has the size. I’m really excited to play with him and the other guys in the room.For him, it’s an ideal position. He’s bringing in eight, nine, and ten-year veterans that know the game and will play his position.
“So he’s getting the knowledge of 10-year vets, so honestly for him it’s like the best situation, and the defense that we’re playing, it’s going to be fun.”
Mafe is correct in that Murphy will have a lot of experienced veterans to lean on. Jonathan Hankins has been in the league since 2013, Leonard Williams was a first-round pick back in 2015 and Jarran Reed was a second-round selection by the Seahawks in 2016.
The point about the defense relates to MacDonald’s scheme, which thrives on using disguised coverages and creative blitzes to get quarterbacks uncomfortable. If the Seahawks are able to transition quickly to the new system and force quarterbacks to hold the ball longer, that should help Murphy hit the ground running and put up the numbers his draft position demands.
Most importantly, Murphy will likely see a high number of one on ones due to the talent the Seahawks possess and the creativity of the scheme, which maximizes the versatility of its players. Murphy’s fellow defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones is a case in point. Jones, having impressed off the edge during the second half of last season, will play some outside linebacker as well as interior defensive line in 2024.
Jones’ new role should allow Murphy to get on the field often as a rotational pass rusher even if he isn’t listed as a starter. Fronts where Jones is able to be on the field at the same time as both Murphy and Williams figure to create havoc for opposing offenses, and that’s before taking into account the attention Uchenna Nwosu, Mafe and Darrell Taylor could command when deployed off the edge. All three of that trio have at one season with nine sacks over the course of the last two years.
With the scheme and the surrounding talent, Murphy has a lot going for him as he seeks to establish himself as a dominant interior pass rusher at the highest level. This will entail fully utilizing the sounding boards he has in the form of Williams, Reed, and Hankins.
The Seahawks appear to have created an environment conducive to Murphy’s outstanding rookie season. If he delivers, their defense is unlikely to remain at the bottom of the league for long.
Leave a Reply