Outside of a few offensive tackles, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II has emerged as a favorite to become the Cincinnati Bengals' first round pick in the NFL Draft.
Murphy is the consensus top-ranked interior pass rusher in this class, and his profile supports him becoming a high-quality player. The Bengals also have a long-term need at the position, which makes it an ideal pairing.
But will Murphy last to the Bengals' 18th overall pick in next week's draft? One of the most plugged-in draft experts is hearing he could go a lot higher.
NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah revealed that Murphy could be a a surprise top 10 pick, as his name is being circulated a lot around the league.
"If you asked me today, who is a surprise top 10 pick? Like who is the 8th pick in the draft that we didn't see coming? It is Byron Murphy," Jeremiah said. "That is a name that is being called a lot around the league. I wouldn't sleep on him going much higher than we all think."
On top of Murphy sporting one of the cleanest profiles of all potential first round picks this year, two other aspects are working in Murphy's favor.
For starters, the defensive tackle position is relatively scarce in this year's draft. Murphy may be the only one to be drafted in the first 32 picks. Johnny Newton is rated second to Murphy according to the consensus, though he's expected to go off the board late in the first round or even in the second round.
Murphy is not only viewed as a rare talent, but the position he plays has seen a rise in value. Defensive tackle has become one of the highest-paid positions in the entire league, as evidenced by how free agency unfolded last month with elite stars such as Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins, and Justin Madubuike all agreed to deals worth more than $25 million per year.
The very best interior pass rushers are making as much as the best wide receivers, and they've only been found as early as possible in the draft. That makes Murphy even more of a valuable commodity.
Murphy's expected draft position sits at 17.9 according to Grinding The Mocks, and there's less than a 50% chance he lasts past the 16th pick according to ESPN's Draft Day Predictor tool. His draft position over/under is also at 16.5, per DraftKings.
It's more likely than not that Murphy will be off the board before the Bengals are up to pick, and don't be surprised if he's drafted several picks prior to 18.
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