The Seattle Seahawks selected Texas DT Byron Murphy II with the 16th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Murphy spent three seasons with the Longhorns, earning Big 12 defensive lineman of the year in 2023. Here’s everything you need to know about Murphy.
A high-motor interior lineman, Murphy paired with 2023 Outland Trophy winner T’Vondre Sweat as one of college football’s top interior defensive fronts. He started all 14 games on last year’s CFP team and set career highs in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and hurries.
Murphy has drawn comparisons to Jurrell Casey, a 2018 third-round pick by the Titans who played 10 years in the NFL and was a five-time Pro-Bowler.
Murphy is listed at 6-feet, 297 lbs. He’s a DeSoto, Texas native and attended DeSoto (Texas) High School.
In 39 games, Murphy tallied 70 tackles (15 tackles for loss) and eight sacks.
Murphy scored a pair of offensive touchdowns in two of the biggest games of the season: a 1-yard catch in the win over Oklahoma to become only the fourth UT lineman to score an offensive touchdown, and a 1-yard run in the Sugar Bowl against Washington.
Murphy’s 4.87 was the third-fastest 40 recorded among defensive linemen at the combine, where he also had a 33-inch vertical and 28 reps on the bench press. He added a strong follow-up workout for scouts at Texas’ pro day.