Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks Agree to Terms on Rookie Contract

Coinciding with his team debut on the practice field during rookie minicamp, the Seattle Seahawks and Byron Murphy II have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with a fifth-year option.

Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, per slotted value for NFL draft picks, Murphy's rookie deal will be worth $16.08 million and Seattle will have the option to pick up his fifth-year option before the 2027 season. He becomes the first member of the Seahawks latest draft class to sign the dotted line.

Earning All-American and All-Big 12 honors as a junior at Texas, Murphy broke out as one of the most disruptive interior defenders in college football last season, helping guide the Longhorns to a College Football Playoff berth. He finished with 29 tackles, five sacks, and 8.5 tackles for loss while ranking in the top five among defensive linemen in quarterback pressures, pass rush win rate, and pass rush productivity rating according to Pro Football Focus.

Viewed as one of the top defenders in this year's draft class, the Seahawks didn't expect Murphy to be available when they were on the clock with the 16th overall selection. However, thanks to a historic start to the draft where 14 consecutive offensive players, including six quarterbacks, were selected to open the first round, he fell into their lap once the Colts chose UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu.

Even with other teams inquiring with what general manager John Schneider called "strong" trade offers and the Seahawks lacking a second-round selection, Murphy's talent and upside proved too good to pass up and they quickly submitted his name as the choice.

Looking every bit like a blue-chip first-round pick at the VMAC on Friday, the powerful, athletic 297-pound Murphy will immediately be thrust into the competition for snaps in a veteran-laden defensive line headlined by Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Dre'Mont Jones. While he's expected to primarily play the 3-tech/4i defensive tackle role, he played nose tackle at Texas and also has the positional versatility to slide outside as a big 5-tech defensive end, so he could be moved around.

By signing Murphy just one week after drafting him, the Seahawks won't have to worry about negotiations on offsetting money and signing bonus payout as they did last year when top-five pick Devon Witherspoon held out the first two days of training camp before eventually signing. With his contract signed, sealed, and delivered, the focus can shift to locking up the rest of their draft class and making corresponding moves to create enough cap space to do so.