Myles Murphy Left Out of Mel Kiper Jr.'s Latest First-Round Mock Draft
Myles Murphy is in a tough position. As he continues to recover from a hamstring injury, the All-ACC edge rusher is having to watch as other prospects see their NFL Draft stocks soar. Murphy, considered by some to be one of the top edge rushers in this class after Alabama's Will Anderson, missed both the NFL's scouting combine and Clemson's Pro Day, casting doubt on his first-round stock.
Murphy is scheduled to host a private workout for scouts at Clemson on April 4th, and he'll need to impress. According to ESPN Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr., NFL teams may be moving on from Murphy. In Kiper's latest mock draft, Myles Murphy has fallen completely out of the first round. That's a stark contrast from Kiper's previous mock on February 28th that had Muprhy being selected with the 20th pick.
Myles Murphy (98) will host a private workout at Clemson on April 4th.
Now, many other things have changed since the end of February. Multiple trades and the start of free agency in the NFL have changed the landscape. The Panthers now own the top pick in the upcoming draft, which likely means a quarterback will be coming off the board first. In all likelihood, that will start a cascade effect in terms of quarterbacks being selected, but more than that, other players at Murphy's position have continued to impress.
Georgia's Nolan Smith has seen his name shoot up draft boards. Tyree Wilson of Texas Tech and Lukas Van Ness of Iowa are both projected to go early. Even Felix Anudike-Uzomah of Kansas State has seen his name shoot up into the first round. You can only control what you can control, and Myles Murphy is having to do a lot of "hurry up and wait", but that makes April 4th's workout that much bigger. The difference between a first-round pick and a second-round pick may not seem huge, but in terms of money, it absolutely is. On average, players selected in the first round make twice as much as their peers selected in the second.
