Seattle Seahawks Draft DT Byron Murphy II - How Does He Fit In?

The Seattle Seahawks hope to fix their run defense with the addition of first-round pick Byron Murphy II.

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft played out in a unique, historic way, with offensive players making up the first 14 picks of the night. As a result, the Seattle Seahawks essentially had their choice of defensive player at No. 16 overall, all but ensuring they would get to fill a major need.

What did Seattle do with that unexpected freedom? Well, the Seahawks selected Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, fortifying their defensive front in a major way by landing a blue chip talent.

Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II celebrates after sacking TCU quarterback Josh Hoover last

Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

Murphy now joins a defensive line featuring veterans Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and Dre'Mont Jones. So, what does the rookie bring to the table?

In terms of run defense, Murphy offers a great deal of promise. He had 8.5 tackles for loss last season en route to winning Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. He can also line up all across the defensive line, adding to his versatility as a run defender, including seeing action as a nose tackle despite the presence of 366-pound teammate T'Vondre Sweat.

Seattle's run defense was, quite frankly, abysmal in 2023, but with Murphy and free agent pickup Johnathan Hankins now in the fold, coach Mike Macdonald and his staff will be banking on that being far less of an issue this season.

On the pass-rushing front, Murphy has strong upside as well. His sack totals aren't exactly eye-popping, as he had just eight of them in his three-year collegiate career. However, he was constantly causing havoc for opposing quarterbacks, as he had 45 pressures last season to rank in the top five among defensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus. He also finished first in PFF's pass-rush win rate and pass rush productivity ratings.

Murphy is still somewhat raw after two years as a full-time starter for the Longhorns, but remember that Macdonald coached Justin Madubike, a similarly-built defensive tackle who broke out for 13 sacks last season with the Baltimore Ravens. If there was ever a perfect player and coach combo for Seattle, this may be it with hopes history repeats itself with Murphy following the same path as an eventual All-Pro talent.