Murchison Drafted By Titans in Fifth Round

Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison became the first NC State player to be taken in this year's draft when he was picked by the Tennessee Titans with the 174th overall selection in the fifth round

Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison became the first NC State player to be taken in this year's draft Saturday when he was picked by the Tennessee Titans with the 174th overall selection in the fifth round.

Murchison’s selection completes an amazing journey that began as a fullback at East Bladen High School in Elizabethtown and took him through two years at Louisburg Junior College before he landed at State as the final member added to coach Dave Doeren’s 2017 recruiting class.

The 6-foot-3, 297-pound lineman was one of the Wolfpack’s few bright spots last season, ranking among the ACC leaders with seven sacks -- including 3.5 in a loss at Florida State on Sept. 28. He finished the year with 48 tackles (12 TFLs), five quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries.

Projected as a 3-technique tackle after playing both inside and outside in State's three-man front this season, Murchison drew rave reviews at the Senior Bowl in January for his quickness and leverage, attributes that helped him win a majority of his one-on-one drills with offensive linemen during the week of practice.

He further enhanced his draft prospects a month later in Indianapolis at the NFL’s Scouting Combine, where he ran a 5.05 in the 40-yard dash while showing off his strength with 29 reps of 250 pounds on the bench press.

According to NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein, Murchison's strenghs include a high motor, an ability to battle through blocks and make plays, a high football IQ and good lateral agility. In addition to that, Murchison said he has an attribute that can’t be measured on a stopwatch or in a physical drill.

"I told the scouts if you look at every year playing football in high school and in college, I’ve improved every year,” he said recently. “Hopefully they understand the kind of player I am and how much I love football.”

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