Gabriel Murphy NFL Draft Overview
Position: Edge
Height: 6’3 (Unofficial)
Weight: 260lbs (Unofficial)
School: UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins have a stud pass rusher, Laiatu Latu, who is high on draft boards. However, another intriguing prospect who plays on the opposite side of him is Gabriel Murphy. Murphy was a three-star recruit from Dallas, Texas, who was committed to the University of North Texas. Murphy became a starter in his third season as a Covid freshman at the University of North Texas. The stats he amassed on the year were 53 total tackles, 12 1/2 tackles for loss, and seven 1/2 sacks. He then transferred to UCLA and was a key contributor to his Covid sophomore year.
In his Covid junior season in 2023, Murphy burst on the scene with 38 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. Murphy is a relentless pass rusher with an athletic upside that should entice NFL teams. The Pac-12 honorable mention has immense potential; has he earned a first-round grade? Let’s dig into the film!
Gabriel Murphy Player Evaluation
Murphy’s Strengths
- A good athlete has a good first step and speed to gain ground when rushing.
- He has a good change of direction and is quick on his feet. He can chase down quarterbacks and running backs.
- Very quickness to quickly disengage blocks in the run game. Elite Athletic ability is enough to make offensive linemen and tight ends miss in the run game to create tackles for loss.
- He has a decent bend to turn the corner and closes in quickly on the quarterback, and he has solid pass rush moves such as moving arm over cross-chop.
- Very good at rushing from the interior. He was at his best pass-rushing inside on film.
- He is too quick for interior linemen, offensive guards, and centers to handle.
- He can definitely be used in NFL defense with special packages and in multiple ways.
Murphy’s Weakness
- He needs to be more consistent with his hands and his pass-rush plan.
- He is not as effective rushing the passer on the outside as on the interior. He consistently loses the hand fight bottle with offensive tackles due to inconsistent timing.
- He can make blockers miss in the run game, but Murphy is also seen jumping out of the way of run responsibility. Sometimes, he has to take blocks head-on.
- He lacks the physicality at the point of attack to be an early down defensive edge on day one.
- Not the most explosive athlete does not have the elite traits to build off.
- He has to rely on a technique that needs improvement. Teams may see him as more of a developmental prospect.
Projection: Third Round Pick
NFL Comparison: Dorance Armstrong
Best Fits: San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, and the Baltimore Ravens.
Bottom Line
Gabriel Murphy is a developmental prospect with a high upside due to good explosiveness and quickness. Murphy has the talent, motor, and football intelligence to become a good player in the NFL. He will need to improve his pass rush plan and strength to be a three-down NFL player. He has a good first step and makes offensive linemen whiffs to make big plays. Murphy would do best in a scheme that prioritizes their defensive linemen to go up the field, causing havoc. My NFL comparison was Dorance Armstrong. Like Armstrong, Murphy has great quickness and a variety of ways to get to cause havoc in the backfield. Main Photo: [Darren Yamashita] – USA Today SportsMore must-reads: