Here’s a prospect that is often offered to the Lions at both No. 6 and No. 18 overall, reflecting the diversity of scouting considerations.
Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 268 pounds (at combine)
murphy is 21
A 5-star recruit who played for the national champion Tigers, Murphy proved capable as a pass rusher from the get-go. He turned in an outstanding sophomore season in 2021 with seven sacks and 14.5 TFL, often dominating his blocking mark on the sidelines.
His junior season saw Murphy regress slightly statistically, playing the same role, albeit in slightly smaller numbers from the surrounding cast. Murphy still performed well enough to earn second team all-conference and earned a spot on the Bruce Feldman “Freaks” list for his outstanding athletic prowess.
pros
- Look the part physically with a muscular build and great height/weight combo for the position
- wickedly effective spin move that he doesn’t overuse
- Brilliant early burst that takes place over long blockers
- Good upper body strength with strong shoulders that can clear blocks
- Above-average speed which he uses well in the run game in the backside chase
- Highly effective in setting up an edge vs runs
- Plays well with predictable screen and gimmick quick responses
- Sure tackler in the run game with excellent power and balance to finish in space
- good timing with his opening punch on the pass rush; simply doesn’t raise a hand and that makes it more difficult to anticipate him as a blocker
Shortcoming
- Very crude pass rush if he doesn’t win with his initial quickness
- Poor separation from blocks as a pass rusher
- Tends to pop straight up when blocked and loses its strength/leverage advantage
- has yet to show that he can sequence moves or crowd
- Unusually short arms (8.5 inches) and small hands (33 inches) for his height.
- Has not shown agility or ability to change direction in coverage
- Haven’t really progressed as an overall player; largely at exactly the same skill level as when he came in as a Herald recruit
overall
Murphy is also a tantalizing but somewhat disappointing prospect. His physical gifts are clear and effective; He might be the best run-defending edge to come along in a few years. Murphy has the power, explosiveness and great size to get the job done, and has shown he can win quickly and get to the QB.
The frustration comes from the strange amount of emptiness in his game. It’s not a lack of effort, not at all. Murphy just isn’t that technically sophisticated. The fact that he hasn’t really progressed as a football player from the age of 18 to 21 is a bit worrying. Still, he has some impressive pellets over the wall and the ability to take games down the stretch. But there are long stretches against good blockers (Syracuse, Notre Dame, South Carolina) where you don’t know he’s on the field in the passing game.
It is difficult to evaluate this. His impressive athleticism and ability to devastate the run game have a very high floor, even if Murphy never quite touches his pass-rush ceiling. But teams don’t spend top-30 picks on run defense in Edge. He’s promising to be vastly underestimated, yet at the same time overrated based on proven skills. This is quite a puzzle.
From Detroit’s perspective, this is a very high risk pick at No. 6. Yet it is unrealistic to think that Murphy will be at No. 18.
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