Bengals' best building block faces key season in 2024

Despite little in the way of roster turnover, the Cincinnati Bengals have some notable building blocks.

And on a list looking at younger players who might most impact the team’s future, Myles Murphy is impossible not to mention.

Murphy, the team’s first-rounder in 2023, is the pick for Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon, who assembled a list of the most promising building blocks still on rookie contracts:

Midway through his rookie year, Myles Murphy wouldn’t have merited this billing simply for being a 2023 first-round pick. He improved in the second half enough to jump past a few possible options in the secondary. Murphy totaled 20 stops with three sacks as a rookie but should hold a larger role in his second year.

Things started to click for Murphy last year as he earned more playing time, leading to some eyebrow-raising flashes.

Now, the Bengals expect a second-year leap from Murphy, who showed up even bigger this summer.

If the obvious upward trend can continue, Murphy’s rise would mean boosting a pass-rush in desperate need of help and, in turn, make life easier on a secondary undergoing a transition.