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Myles Murphy NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Clemson DL
HEIGHT: 6'5"
WEIGHT: 275
HAND: TBD
ARM: TBD
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: TBD
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: TBD
BROAD: TBD
POSITIVES
— Great size and frame for an NFL defensive end. Moves well at 275 pounds.
— Accelerates off the line of scrimmage well and puts major pressure on offensive tackles when he times up the snap count.
— Has good quickness on his stick moves to test offensive linemen's ability to change directions.
— Showed a nasty hand-swipe move to win around the edge. Has the bend to take an efficient path to the quarterback after winning on the outside.
— Has good hand placement on the V of the neck of the blocker on his one-arm stab move. Keeps his feet moving through contact and has plenty of strength to generate some movement.
— Can be deadly when turning speed to power with his combination of strength and acceleration if he gets more violent at the point of attack.
— Solid as a bull-rusher, can collapse the pocket against smaller offensive tackles and works to get on an edge instead of trying to go through the tackle's chest. Also has a good rip move as a counter off the bull rush to win around the edge.
— Has the upper-body strength to get off blocks with a hump move against play action or the run and to develop a push-pull move.
— Good agility and closing speed to get sacks as the looper in a line game and when unblocked.
— Solid pass-rush motor and rushes with a plan. Will throw countermoves if his initial move doesn't work.
— Can get extension against offensive linemen fairly easily and reset the line of scrimmage when his hands are tied to his feet off the snap and he shoots his hands quickly. Currently better out of a three-point stance than a two-point, but he's shown growth in getting his hands up faster year after year.
— Long arms help with getting extension against the run, too.
— Quick to read blocks, whether that's recognizing when he's unblocked on the backside and staying tight to the line of scrimmage and squeezing or recognizing reach blocks on the front side to stretch the play out.
— Little to no issues shedding blocks when his hands are right.
— Strong lower body and plays with a wide base to hold ground versus one-on-one blocks from tackles.
NEGATIVES
— Could be more physical at the point of attack as a power rusher to put offensive linemen on their heels and get more of an initial surge and be more effective with his bull rush and one-arm stab moves.
— Needs to improve the accuracy with his chops when starting finesse moves to help knock the offensive lineman's arms down and finish the move cleanly. Could also afford to work the lineman's hands more after contact.
— Often gets caught with his hands down by his waist against the run, allowing blockers to get into his body. A little slow to get his hands up, especially out of a two-point stance.
— Could do a better job of selling the vertical rush up the field as a looper to get the linemen to open up their hips and create inside rushing lanes. Gives the line game away a little too early.
— Doesn't get his eyes inside to recognize and get underneath pullers when unblocked against the run. Has a habit of staring into the backfield instead of looking for someone coming.
— Doesn't play with enough knee bend to get a leverage advantage against taller offensive linemen.
— Stops his feet on contact versus the run.
— Has a tendency to get a little overaggressive against zone runs and pop his gap early.
NOTES
— DOB: Jan. 3, 2002
— 5-star recruit in the 2020 class, No. 7 nationally, No. 1 SDE, per 247Sports composite rankings .
— No. 3 on Bruce Feldman's list of top athletes entering the season; benches 405 lbs, power cleans 335 lbs, deadlifts 505 lbs, 35-inch vertical, 10-foot broad jump, runs the 40-yard dash in the high 4.5-second range
— 27 career starts
— 2022 Honors: first-team All-ACC
— 2021 Honors: first-team All-ACC (PFF and Phil Steele), fourth-team All-American (Phil Steele)
— 2020 Honors: Freshman All-American (several media outlets), ACC Co-Newcomer of the Year (AP), third-team All-ACC (PFF)
— Father played at Chattanooga and brother played at NAIA Worcester Polytechnic
OVERALL
There aren't many prospects that have Myles Murphy's combination of size, power and athleticism. At 6'5" and 275 pounds, he moves well enough that Clemson felt comfortable dropping him into coverage on occasion, and he has plenty of strength to hold up at the point of attack.
Murphy has enough power to be effective with a bull rush or one-arm stab move as a pass-rusher in the NFL, especially if he gets more violent on contact. But he also has the agility and bend to win around the edge. Against the run, he can be hard to move with his instincts/block recognition, strength and long arms to get extension.
Murphy does have some work to do with his use of hands both as a run defender and pass-rusher. He got caught with his hands down by his waist far too often and struggled to land his initial chops when working finesse moves. However, the Clemson product did show growth in both areas from 2021 to 2022, so there's reason to believe he can fix the issues.
Schematically, he was better out of a three-point stance than a two-point, which makes him a natural fit as a defensive end in even fronts. Murphy could be an end in an odd scheme, lining up primarily as a 4i- to 5-technique and occasionally as a 3-tech, but he shouldn't be put any further inside than that.
Murphy might not be a great fit for a team looking for a standup outside linebacker type of pass-rusher, but the Georgia native is somewhat scheme-versatile for any club looking for a more traditional, hand-in-the-ground defensive end.
GRADE: 9.1 (Top-10 Prospect)
OVERALL RANK: 3
POSITION RANK: EDGE2
PRO COMPARISON: Jason Pierre-Paul
Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder