Seattle Seahawks first-round defensive tackle Byron Murphy II turned in a solid rookie campaign last fall.
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Murphy’s stats didn’t jump off the page, as he finished with 0.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and 36 tackles in 14 games. But then again, raw stats typically aren’t the best way to measure a defensive tackle’s value.
The 6-foot, 306-pound Murphy frequently took on double teams and clogged holes up front, serving as a key piece along the interior for a defense that evolved into a top-five unit in the NFL over the second half of the season.
Murphy ranked 64th out of 118 interior defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus grading, which is a decent spot for a rookie who dealt with a groin injury that sidelined him for three games early on. He totaled 21 pressures and 15 runs stops, which ranked around middle of the pack for interior defensive linemen, according to PFF.
What’s the next step for Murphy in Year 2? Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde was asked that question after an OTA practice last week.
“I think the next level for him is just consistency,” Durde said. “I felt like for him, he had a certain role – like a first-and-second-down role, (with) some third down reps. I think he can make a big jump to become an every-down D-tackle and affect the game on all downs and distances.
“You kind of saw glimpses of it last year, but it’s just building that consistency, that mental conditioning, physical conditioning and understanding what type of situation you’re in for that position.”
Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard agreed with that assessment during a Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
Huard also said there will be more of an expectation on Murphy to make impact plays this fall, given his status as the No. 16 overall pick and the second overall defensive player off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“If you want to be a D-tackle with a high PFF grade like (Seahawks Pro Bowl defensive lineman) Leonard Williams, you make splash and impact plays,” Huard said. “You don’t just hold the fort on double teams. You don’t take him No. 16 overall to just anchor and take on double teams. You’ve gotta be a little more than that. And I would agree with Mr. Durde – that comes with a down-to-down, series-to-series, game-to-game consistency that has to keep maturing.”
Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player at the bottom of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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