Byron Murphy

[Stream Hawk]

Edit. I guess this was already in the Bob draft thread.
Wow, I got first chance here at this an hour later? I think this is a great Pick at 16. Clearly we couldn’t move back and we actually drafted someone I had heard of . The fact that we could use d tackle help that has all-pro potential ceiling. Nice work!

[trents]

Has a body type like Aaron Donald.

[River_Dog]

He has some decent measurables for a 6'1", 300lb frame: 4.87 40 yard dash, 33" vertical leap, doesn't have a lot of 'bad' weight. He's played in various spots on the Texas DL, including at edge. Macdonald is likely looking at him as a 3-tech DT in a 4-3 defense.

This isn't a high value pick of a player who dropped out of the top 10, but nor is it a reach as were some of JS's first round picks in the past.

[NorthHawk]

I think he is a really good pick and was surprised he was still on the board, but with all of the QBs taken early many other top quality players dropped.
His floor is pretty high but we don't know what our Defense will look like under MacDonald and how he intends to use Murphy but he has all the tools to be a disruptive force inside and that's something we've been looking for for quite a while.
I wonder if there were any realistic offers to trade down?

[Oly]

I'm a big fan of the pick. I would have preferred OL, but with the new medical concerns with Fautanu's knee and Mims only starting 8 games in college, I don't think any OL on the board was as good of a player as Murphy. Lots of people say that Turner was clearly the better prospect than Murphy, but I put DT behind only QB in terms of importance (with LT the clear third) so I'd say that the player + position combo puts Murphy as the best player on the board for the Hawks. And it was a need.

When I see Murphy's highlights, it's clear that he either demands a double team or bull rushes a center into the backfield. He doesn't have the pass rush to be a Donald-level disruptive force, but paired with Williams, I can easily see that DT pairing becoming one of the best in the league by next season.

[NorthHawk]

The interior of the DL is suddenly much stronger with the additions of Hankins and Murphy. Jarran Reed is on the last year of his contract so a year of development/acclimation to the NFL for Murphy could mean he would slide right into that spot.
I wonder if they have visions of selecting his teammate T'Vondre Sweat if he's there when the Seahawks pick. That would make a very solid interior DL when Reed and Hankins are gone.

[c_hawkbob]

Edit. I guess this was already in the Bob draft thread.
Wow, I got first chance here at this an hour later? I think this is a great Pick at 16. Clearly we couldn’t move back and we actually drafted someone I had heard of . The fact that we could use d tackle help that has all-pro potential ceiling. Nice work!

It's cool man, our #1 pick always deserves his own thread!

As I've said elsewhere I was expecting us to go with an Edge rusher but Murphy should not only help (arguably as much or nearly so) with our pash rush but shore up our nearly league worst run defense much more. I like the pick!

[NorthHawk]

MacDonald has been able to create a pass rush using players that he has when in Baltimore or at the college level.
Maybe the players we have can become a real force off the edge with the different schemes from previous years.

[River_Dog]

I'm a big fan of the pick. I would have preferred OL, but with the new medical concerns with Fautanu's knee and Mims only starting 8 games in college, I don't think any OL on the board was as good of a player as Murphy. Lots of people say that Turner was clearly the better prospect than Murphy, but I put DT behind only QB in terms of importance (with LT the clear third) so I'd say that the player + position combo puts Murphy as the best player on the board for the Hawks. And it was a need.

When I see Murphy's highlights, it's clear that he either demands a double team or bull rushes a center into the backfield. He doesn't have the pass rush to be a Donald-level disruptive force, but paired with Williams, I can easily see that DT pairing becoming one of the best in the league by next season.

Yeah, Murph could turn what used to be a weakness for us into a strength, especially if Nwosu comes back healthy and regains his form from 2022. And as a little side note, he claims to have grown up a Hawks fan, loved the LOB. The more I read about Murph, the more I like the pick.

But at some point, we're going to have to address the interior OL. That has to be our priority in today's session.

[NorthHawk]

I hope JS will try to upgrade the interior of the OL, but I’m not holding my breath.
He has a history of neglect with that part of the team.

[River_Dog]

I hope JS will try to upgrade the interior of the OL, but I’m not holding my breath.
He has a history of neglect with that part of the team.

But was that JS's thing or Pete's? That's one of the things I'm looking for, if we break a past trend in this draft.

[Spohawk5092]

YES!!! A good pick to start things off.

[Stream Hawk]

I see a few good/great guards that might still available at #81 today. Puni from Kansas would be excellent if he's still available. Too bad we don't have a 2nd to land Beebe or Haynes.

[jshawaii22]

I think Denver, LV Raiders and Seattle all had their eyes on trading up for Penix but Atlanta screwed the pooch. Of course, we had no draft capital to trade. I doubt Murphy was our first choice. However, with the first 14 picks being offensive players, and he was rated as one of the top 3 defensive players on the board, I'm OK and wish we got Penix, but it is what it is.
Knowing JS and that he may of had a lot more control of the prior drafts then we thought (which isn't necessary a good thing) I'm thrilled he didn't reach. We also still have DK, who I think was our biggest trade piece.

[River_Dog]

I think Denver, LV Raiders and Seattle all had their eyes on trading up for Penix but Atlanta screwed the pooch. Of course, we had no draft capital to trade. I doubt Murphy was our first choice. However, with the first 14 picks being offensive players, and he was rated as one of the top 3 defensive players on the board, I'm OK and wish we got Penix, but it is what it is.
Knowing JS and that he may of had a lot more control of the prior drafts then we thought (which isn't necessary a good thing) I'm thrilled he didn't reach. We also still have DK, who I think was our biggest trade piece.

Yeah, there were rumors that we had inquired about trading up to get Penix, but if we did, I don't believe that we were serious. For one, he was projected as a lower first round prospect so even taking him at #16 would have been a slight reach. Had it been one of the top rated QB's that unexpectedly fell, then I could see it.

Apparently, we had several good offers to trade down when our turn came at #16. Here's what JS said:

John Schneider said the Seahawks had four potential trade-back opportunities at 16 -- "good ones, too" -- and that they considered going that route.
"I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t think about it, but the player was ... just too good. He influences the game a lot."

If we believe what JS said in that statement, and now that the first three rounds are in the book there's no reason not to, then that tells me Murphy was our first choice, and would have been even had we been picking several slots above #16. We all know how much he likes trading down, and with no #2, there was a big motivation to do so.

[NorthHawk]

He may have been one of those players who they really wanted but didn't expect to be available without a trade up so when he was still on the board, they couldn't justify trading down.

RD regarding the IOL:

But was that JS's thing or Pete's? That's one of the things I'm looking for, if we break a past trend in this draft.

JS said earlier that he thinks Guards (and presumably Centers, too given that revolving door since trading away Unger) were over drafted and over paid.
But we did draft Christian Haynes who looks like he could be a starter with our 2nd choice, so maybe the 81st pick is low enough for him. If Haynes plays well enough for a 2nd contract and JS is still here we will see if he still believes in that philosophy.

[River_Dog]

He may have been one of those players who they really wanted but didn't expect to be available without a trade up so when he was still on the board, they couldn't justify trading down.

RD regarding the IOL:

But was that JS's thing or Pete's? That's one of the things I'm looking for, if we break a past trend in this draft.

JS said earlier that he thinks Guards (and presumably Centers, too given that revolving door since trading away Unger) were over drafted and over paid.

But we did draft Christian Haynes who looks like he could be a starter with our 2nd choice, so maybe the 81st pick is low enough for him. If Haynes plays well enough for a 2nd contract and JS is still here we will see if he still believes in that philosophy.

If I'm not mistaken, our picking Haynes with the #81 overall represents the highest we've ever drafted a player who was projected as a guard or center in the Pete Carroll/JS era. Every other lineman drafted that high, ie Carpenter, Ifedi, and Britt, were projected to play tackle and ended up at guard or center.

Is it just a coincidence that the first year JS goes it alone that he breaks the bank for an interior lineman?

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Damien Lewis was drafted 69th overall to play guard.

I think the last two drafts already shows a departure from past draft strategy. Every linemen drafted in the last two drafts were selected to play the same position in the nfl as they did in college. Makes me think they aren’t misjudging the talent and aren’t drafting to switch positions. Hopefully that’s the case.

[River_Dog]

Damien Lewis was drafted 69th overall to play guard.

I think the last two drafts already shows a departure from past draft strategy. Every linemen drafted in the last two drafts were selected to play the same position in the nfl as they did in college. Makes me think they aren’t misjudging the talent and aren’t drafting to switch positions. Hopefully that’s the case.

Nice call. I stand corrected.

[Oly]

I think the last two drafts already shows a departure from past draft strategy. Every linemen drafted in the last two drafts were selected to play the same position in the nfl as they did in college. Makes me think they aren’t misjudging the talent and aren’t drafting to switch positions. Hopefully that’s the case.

What a welcome change. I'm curious whether Bradford and or Haynes now try to move to the left, but at least we're drafting guards to play guard.

[NorthHawk]

Early in the Carroll regime's tenure they drafted a Guard who I think was from Michigan who was a little crazy and he ended up getting flushed out of the league. I can't remember his name but I think he was a 2nd or 3rd round selection.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

That was John Moffitt from Wisconsin.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Nice call. I stand corrected.

He got a pricey contract from Carolina once his rookie deal was up here. Hoping UConn Haynes along with Bradford is the ticket at guard now.

[Aseahawkfan]

So far I like this draft. Solid building block draft along the lines with some depth players.

[jshawaii22]

Good Draft for JS, at least on paper. His one trade seemed to bring a couple extra picks.

[River_Dog]

There wasn't anything in it that pissed me off as there usually is, no wide receivers or running backs, no reaches like we've done with players like Collier, Eskridge, Carpenter, et al, plus it couldn't have been complete without trading down, which seems to be JS's signature move.

[NorthHawk]

I think we started off great but slowly slid into nowhere land on the 3rd day.
The TE pick might be OK. Michigan didn't use him a lot in the pass game but he looks like a good blocker but the others seem like they are projects and to me cast an aura of the old 'We know better than everyone else - just watch us' that we saw in the bad draft days.
But maybe it's the new coaches seeing things that are much different from what I've been accustomed to seeing and without a definitive statement that Olu is the starting Center, it's a big worry for me.

[River_Dog]

I think we started off great but slowly slid into nowhere land on the 3rd day.
The TE pick might be OK. Michigan didn't use him a lot in the pass game but he looks like a good blocker but the others seem like they are projects and to me cast an aura of the old 'We know better than everyone else - just watch us' that we saw in the bad draft days.
But maybe it's the new coaches seeing things that are much different from what I've been accustomed to seeing and without a definitive statement that Olu is the starting Center, it's a big worry for me.

Yeah, I'm not sold on Olu, either. He didn't play enough for us to get a read on, and considering how poorly the starter played, it's concerning that he didn't earn more snaps.

But we had a lot of mouths to feed, so it might just be a case of not having enough picks and the right players not being available when our turn came rather than acknowledging him as the starter.

[Old but Slow]

Offensive linemen usually take a couple of years to become effective and the positions must coordinate, and that can take time, as well, as the players become familiar with each other. Stability of the O-line has been an on going problem for the "Hawks, but if Olu, Bradford and Haynes work out they may be able to establish some continuity.

The return of Lucas is important, not only because he the best lineman we have but he is also the most aggressive, which is a quality the team definitely needs.

The selections of Murphy and Haynes was very good, and most of the other picks make sense, also. I am a bit puzzled by the Barner pick, as does not seem to have the traits of a good TE, but they are surely seeing something I am not. But, I'm myopic.

[NorthHawk]

The OL often take a few years to develop properly but JS has a history of not re-signing or extending IOL even if they are very good players like when they traded away Unger for a pass catching TE in an Offense that didn't throw to the TEs very much.
Have the Seahawks ever re-signed an Interior Lineman after drafting them under Schneider? I can't think of any.

[River_Dog]

The OL often take a few years to develop properly but JS has a history of not re-signing or extending IOL even if they are very good players like when they traded away Unger for a pass catching TE in an Offense that didn't throw to the TEs very much.
Have the Seahawks ever re-signed an Interior Lineman after drafting them under Schneider? I can't think of any.

I think we re-signed Justin Britt, did we not?

[NorthHawk]

I think so but did we re-sign him after he was playing G/C or was it after the OT experiment failed?

[River_Dog]

I think so but did we re-sign him after he was playing G/C or was it after the OT experiment failed?

He was a center when we resigned him following his stints at tackle and guard.

[NorthHawk]

So that's 1 IOL over the years that was drafted and given a 2nd contract? Maybe two if we missed one - and Britt wasn't even drafted to play there.
We'll see if JS is one of those that will not re-sign IOL in a couple of years or not and chooses to just draft players to get them on a cheap deal or sign lower priced FA's.