Seahawks vet Jarran Reed's colorful take on Byron Murphy was worth repeating 3 times

The Seattle Seahawks will hold their first padded practice of the year later today at the VMAC, and training camp will officially kick into the next gear ahead of the 2025 season. On paper the Seahawks have a ton of question marks on offense, beginning with an atrocious interior offensive line and including totally re-made units at quarterback and wide receiver.

On the other side of the ball, things are much more stable. Only one change has been made to the projected starting lineup this offseason, with DeMarcus Lawrence replacing Dre'Mont Jones at the edge spot opposite the perpetually-injured Uchenna Nwosu.

One thing we can't bank on that could turn out to be a huge x-factor for Seattle's defense is the development of second-year defensive lineman Byron Murphy II. Murphy was the Seahawks' first-round draft pck last year but he had an underwhelming rookie season statistically. Still, he definitely has the physical tools he needs to succeed at this level.

If you don't believe us, just ask Jarran Reed - who had this to say about Murphy's game earlier this week after practice. (NSFW)

Jarran Reed on Byron Murphy

😂 #Seahawks Jarran Reed on Byron Murphy:

“I could see him being defensive player of the year. He’s a great guy, he works hard, he listens.. He’s strong as shit, he’s strong as shit… he’s fast, he’s strong as shit. I don’t think anybody’s gonna be able to block him for real” pic.twitter.com/y7j8mRlKY1
— Brayden (@seeeeaaaahawks) July 26, 2025

Obviously there's much more to playing the game than pure physical power, but it certainly doesn't hurt. If Murphy can take the next step and start closing out some of those pressures he got as a rookie, the Seahawks' defensive line has a real chance to be the most-disruptive in the NFC.

For the season Murphy earned a solid 64.5 grade in pass rushing from PFF, but he'll need to work on his run defense, which came in at 53.6, bringing his overall grade down to 57.8 - ranking 97th in the league out of 219 qualifying interior defensive linemen.

The leap that players make between their first and second years in the league is usually the most critical juncture in their careers - if Murphy can take a step forward it will go a long way towards justifying Seattle using a first-rounder on him. If not, it'll be another costly misstep for general manager John Schneider in Round 1.

Jarran Reed on Byron Murphy

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