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Byron Murphy, 21, fits the bill of numerous other defensive back prospects in this draft: just a little undersized but very gifted. He was solid across the board in his two years at Washington in terms of coverage and tackling. He splashed with four interceptions and 13 passes defended as a redshirt sophomore when he earned first and second-team All-American honors, depending on the publication. Murphy didn’t have an outstanding combine, so his lack of size, speed and explosion could hurt his stock overall.
Size
5-11, 190 pounds
Combine notables
40-yard dash: 4.55 seconds
Bench: 14 reps
Vertical: 36.5 inches
Broad jump: 120 inches (T4th lowest at position)
What the analysts say
“Ball-hawking man corner who makes up for a lack of physical tools with outstanding instincts, toughness, and short-area quickness. Murphy's ball production per target is as good as you will find thanks to an innate ability to process the quarterback and route development simultaneously. His long speed is below average and will panic and start grabbing when he ends up in an unexpected trail position. His short-area twitch and run support toughness could make him an early target for teams looking for help at the nickel.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
“He will fit into nearly any scheme at the next level, as he has experience playing multiple coverages while at Washington. Projects best as a primarily zone coverage cornerback, but he has developmental traits for man coverage as well. His well-rounded game is highlighted because of his elite ball skills, which led to 13 pass breakups and 4 interceptions in 2018. Murphy also showed prowess as a blitzer, able to disrupt the backfield in a hurry.” – Brad Kelly, The Draft Network
What PFF says
-15th in force incompletion percentage
-22nd in cover snaps per reception
-30th in tackling efficiency
[caption id=attachment_47960" align="alignnone" width="668]
Chart via Pro Football Focus Draft Guide[/caption]
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CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE
ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
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