Byron Murphy II turning heads at Seahawks camp with his explosiveness

The Seattle Seahawks defense is going to be much tougher than they have been the last few years, at least up front. After re-signing Leonard Williams to a lucrative deal , the team doubled down on their interior defensive line unit by drafting Byron Murphy II in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, at 16th overall.

So far at training camp Murphy hasn't disappointed. In particular, his versatility and quick first step have been turning heads at practice, per Bob Condotta at the Seattle Times :

"Specifically, with veteran Dre’Mont Jones missing his third straight practice with a hamstring injury and Leonard Williams given a veteran’s day off, Murphy got a ton of snaps in all situations on the interior of the defensive line, including an early session devoted to running plays and in one-on-one matchups. And throughout, the quick first step that so enamored the Seahawks and compelled them to take him at 16th overall and as the second defensive player taken was on display.”

Murphy's explosiveness and ability to get after the quarterback were readily apparent during his last season at Texas. For the season he earned the highest pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus of any interior defensive lineman in the nation.

What isn't clear yet is whether or not Murphy's relative lack of size will become a problem when he has to get pass offensive lineman that are much larger than the ones he faced in college. At just six-foot, 309 pounds it is a legitimate concern. However, the rest of his athletic profile is spectacular. Murphy posted a 9.04 RAS score , including elite scores in explosion and speed.

It's extremely difficult to guess which prospects will work out in the NFL and which ones will be bust, but in this case it would come as a surprise if Murphy doesn't figure things out fast.