DT Byron Murphy II emerges as a possible Bears target at No. 9

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has been talking about a difference-maker who will transform the defense for two years. The franchise can finally secure that player in next weekend’s NFL draft.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote a deep dive on Sunday, April 21, into Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II, who is rolling up the draft boards and who resembles the precise type of three-technique tackle that Eberflus has been fixated on the past few times. of seasons.

Murphy could be a perfect fit at a position that Eberflus has described as the “engine” of the defense. A difference maker in that position delivers much more than statistical production as an interior passer. The scheme is designed to achieve consistent penetration into the B gap, with the three techniques aligned on the outer shadow of the protection. He can pull center in pass protection and can be a disruptive force against the run.

In a conference call last week, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah mentioned Murphy as a player who could emerge as a top-10 selection. If so, the Bears would be an ideal landing spot, and he’s unlikely to slide out of the top half of Round 1. It’s possible the Bears could trade down a bit and select Murphy, but there are rumors he could be the first defensive player. selected.

Hype surrounding Byron Murphy and Bears late in draft season Similar to Path of OT Darnell Wright to Chicago in 2023

GettyChicago Bears offensive tackle Darnell Wright.

Murphy’s relatively late emergence as a serious candidate for Chicago with the 9th overall pick (second in the first round after No. 1) follows a similar trend that led to the Bears’ selection of Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright in 2023.

Chicago also owned the rights to the 9th pick in last year’s draft, although the team traded down one spot from that pick to No. 10 before selecting Wright to anchor the right side of the offensive line. Jacob Infante from Windy City Gridiron posted on X on Sunday how Murphy’s potential path to the Bears locker room mirrors Wright’s.

“Last year there was a lot of late buzz around Darnell Wright as someone the #Bears liked,” Infante wrote. “This year we see the same thing with Byron Murphy. I don’t think this is a coincidence.”

Byron Murphy earned the highest overall grade for defensive tackles at the Combine

GettyUniversity of Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein gave Murphy the highest overall grade of any defensive tackle participating in this year’s combine after Murphy claimed the fourth-best production rating and second-best athleticism rating in the class at his position.

Despite being 6-foot-4 and 297 pounds, Zierlein cites size and frame as perhaps the biggest potential weakness for Murphy at the next level. But other than that there isn’t much to criticize.