Hogs Haven takes a look at 2024 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders
Myles Murphy, DT
School: UNC | Conference: ACC
College Experience: Senior | Age: ?
Height / Weight: 6’4” / 309 lbs
Projected Draft Status: Rounds 6-UDFA
Player Comparison: Devon Still
College Statistics
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2020 | North Carolina | ACC | FR | DL | 7 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2021 | North Carolina | ACC | SO | DL | 13 | 19 | 19 | 38 | 9.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2022 | North Carolina | ACC | JR | 14 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| *2023 | North Carolina | ACC | SR | DL | 13 | 15 | 9 | 24 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career | North Carolina | 50 | 49 | 99 | 17.0 | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Player Overview
Myles Murphy arrived at Chapel Hill a highly-regarded prospect as a four-star prospect and the No. 3 high school football player in North Carolina. This allowed Murphy to see the field early in his career. As a true freshman in 2020, he appeared in all of the Tar Heels games and made a modest impact. As a full-time starter the following year, Murphy had his most productive season and was named Second-Team All-ACC. After that season, UNC changed defensive coordinators and ran more even fronts than odd fronts. Murphy’s production took a dip in his final two seasons, but he still put enough on tape to earn an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Strengths
- NFL size for the position
- Quickness off the snap to shoot gaps and disrupt the backfield
- Strong enough to walk linemen into the backfield
- Flashes good hand use to discard blocks
- Good closing speed considering his size
Weaknesses
- Has to keep eyes in the backfield to prevent taking himself out of the play
- Must improve frequency he gets off blocks
- Lack of agility makes it difficult for him to bend and change directions
- Needs to develop more moves to win pass rush reps
- Has plays where he motors down when the play goes away from him
Let’s See His Work
Check this play by #UNC SR DT Myles Murphy who is listed at 6’4.5”/310! pic.twitter.com/V8x1Bcklc9
— Alex King (@AKing_Evals) September 3, 2023
Myles Murphy is a DT prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 6.02 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 645 out of 1620 DT from 1987 to 2024.
Splits projectedhttps://t.co/vixtXLfr9U pic.twitter.com/9GfCfLK2BV
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 29, 2024
How He Fits on the Commanders
The Commanders are set with their starters at defensive tackle – unless there is a trade – with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. The depth is not quite as clear. John Ridgeway is good rotational depth, but 2022 second-round pick Phidarian Mathis has yet to make an impact.
With nine picks, the Commanders could use one to look for depth at defensive tackle to develop. Myles Murphy shows some excellent qualities at the position with his strength, quickness off the snap, and finishing. His lack of agility and polish are a few things that will likely make Murphy a late-round pick. With coaching, Murphy may be able to improve his play and become a reliable part of the defensive tackle rotation.