ESPN news: Riser in the NFL Draft, Defensive “Engine” Is a Potential No. 9 Target for the Bears

For the past two years, head coach of the Chicago Bears Matt Eberflus has talked about a player that will make a difference and change the defense. In the NFL draft the following weekend, the team might eventually select that guy.

On Sunday, April 21, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote a thorough analysis of Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II. Murphy II is a player who is rising up the boards and seems to be the exact kind of three-technique tackle that Eberflus has been obsessing over for the previous several seasons.

Murphy might be a great fit for the “engine” position, which Eberflus has called the defense’s main engine. As an interior pass rusher, a difference maker at that position offers far more than just statistical production. With the three techniques positioned on the outside shade of the guard, the system is intended to achieve consistent penetration in the B-gap. He can be a disruptive force against the run and draw the center in pass protection.

Murphy may end up among the top 10 picks, according to NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah, who made this observation during a conference call last week. If that is the case, the Bears seem like a great place for him to land, and it is unlikely that he falls outside of the top half of Round 1. Murphy may be selected by the Bears if they decide to slightly move down and select him, although there is talk that he may be the first defensive player chosen.

Late-draft season hype surrounding Byron Murphy to the Bears is comparable to OT Darnell Wright’s journey to Chicago in 2023.

With the 9th overall pick—its second in the first round after No. 1—Murphy’s somewhat belated ascent to prominence as a potential Chicago target is consistent with the Bears’ 2023 selection of Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright.

In the previous year’s draft, Chicago also had the rights to the ninth pick; however, they traded that pick back to No. 10 in order to select Wright to start at the right side of their offensive line. On Sunday, Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante shared on X how Murphy’s possible route to the Bears locker room is similar to Wright’s.

“The #Bears liked Darnell Wright, and there was some late buzz about him last year,” wrote Infante. We’re witnessing the same thing with Byron Murphy this year. This is hardly a coincidence, in my opinion.

At the Combine, Byron Murphy earned the highest overall score for defensive tackles.

Murphy received the highest overall ranking of all defensive tackles that took part in this year’s combine from NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein. Murphy finished the class with the second-best athleticism score and the fourth-best production score at his position.

Even though Murphy weighs 297 pounds and is 6 feet and 1.5 inches tall, Zierlein believes that his stature and frame could be his biggest vulnerability at the next level. Beyond that, though, there isn’t much to complain.

“Powerful, explosive muscle ball with the aptitude and resources to excel as a three-down defender in the appropriate scheme. A combination of his lower body strength and flexion, along with his twitchy first-step agility, make him a dangerous gap shooter and pass rusher, according to Zierlein. Murphy is strong and skilled at taking on double teams, but he lacks the necessary length and bulk to play that position consistently. With his fast hands and feet, he can successfully avoid protection, and his enthusiasm and motor skills produce an activity level that coaches will adore.