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By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: Murphy was excellent as a freshman defensive end for Clemson in 2020, recording 51 tackles, 12 for a loss, four sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass broken up. He was even better as a sophomore with 37 tackles and seven sacks. In 2022, Murphy totaled 40 tackles, 6.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two passes defended. He tailed off at the end of the year and looked like he may have been protecting himself.
Murphy is a stout run defender. At the point of attack, he sets the edge and uses his strength to maintain his gap. Murphy holds his ground well and doesn’t get pushed off the ball by downhill runs coming at him. With his strength and active hands, Murphy is adept at shedding blocks, and he flies to the ball to get in on tackles. Murphy also can blast his way into the backfield to pick up a tackle for a loss or blow the play up. As a pro edge defender, Murphy should be a good contributor in the ground game.
For the next level, Murphy has the ability to be an impactful defensive end and double-digit sacker. He is a dangerous pass rusher with a dynamic skill set that makes him a skilled quarterback hunter. Murphy is fast and athletic off the edge, possessing the pure speed to dart past offensive tackles and get upfield. Murphy also has active hands that he can use at the same time as his feet. He uses speed around the corner, and his power to bull rush through tackles. Assisted by his strength and size, Murphy has shown the ability to utterly manhandle tight ends and dominate them at the point of attack. Murphy has natural speed to power that makes him very difficult to single block when he gets going.
The problem with Murphy is inconsistent drive. As one source tola WalterFootball.com, sometimes you have to poke the bear to get him going. Thus, Murphy would respond better to a coach who motivates and pushes his players with infectious energy. Murphy lacks a little “dog,” and sometimes plays like the big kid on the playground who doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Once Murphy gets going, however, he can be a physical force who is dominant and ruthless with how he overpowers the opposition. Murphy needs to become more of a self-starter, and if he goes to a good motivator, that could help him.
Murphy looks like a solid first-round pick for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Player Comparison: Bradley Chubb. If Murphy had more consistent fight and tenacity, he would be very similar to Chubb. Both possess size, speed, power and athleticism.
RELATED LINKS:
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2023 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
NFL Picks - Dec. 26
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 25
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 23
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Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
