Last year, the Las Vegas Raiders finished middle-of-the-pack in the NFL with 46 sacks. But the quarterback pressures showed more of their pass-rush issues, though, as Las Vegas ranked 26th with 126 pressures.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. could have a solution via the NFL Draft, though. He projected the Raiders to select former Texas star Byron Murphy II with the No. 8 overall pick in his Mock Draft 2.0 on Wednesday – although it’s a departure from his overall player rankings.
Murphy came in as the No. 27 player in Kiper’s Big Board after the Super bowl, but based on what he’s hearing, the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year could go higher in the first round.
“I went with a player that I have 27 on my Big Board right now, but you can’t be stubborn when you do mock drafts,” Kiper told Matt Miller on First Draft. “You can’t just go by your ratings. You have to listen to people in the league. The consensus is, with defensive tackle, it’s Byron Murphy II. And this is a kid who has that potential in the NFL to be a disruptor.
“Will he be on a game-to-game basis, that player? I didn’t see it in Texas. Hopefully, in the NFL when he’s coached up, he can be that guy. The Raiders need that disrupter along the interior on that defense line.”
ESPN’s Matt Miller: A position change could unlock Byron Murphy II’s potential
Murphy was a first team all-conference selection as he anchored the Texas defense. He put up career numbers with 29 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks – not to mention a rushing touchdown in the Sugar Bowl against Washington – as part of an impressive junior season.
All told, during his three years in Austin, Murphy had 70 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks before deciding to declare for the NFL Draft.
But Matt Miller thinks Murphy has even more potential in the NFL if he moves into a three-technique role. With his skillset, it makes sense why evaluators are so high on him as a first-round caliber player.
“I love Byron Murphy II to the Raiders,” Miller said. “If you can’t get a quarterback to go toe-to-toe Patrick Mahomes, get someone who can at least bring him down. Murphy and Maxx Crosby would form that pass rush that they really lacked last year. They’re so desperate for inside pass rush help. Murphy will bring that, and Mel mentioned, was he consistent game to game? No, but he was also playing as a five-technique and a 3-3-5 defense where he’s asked to two-gap. Watch him when he’s able to just shoot gaps and penetrate.
“The first-step quickness is there. The strength, the raw power that Murphy brings is fantastic. He’s rag-dolling offensive linemen every time you watch the tape, especially that Alabama tape. I thought he looked great in that one. So Murphy to the Raiders, that’s an A-Plus for Kiper on that one.”
More must-reads: