2024 NFL Draft Profile: Texas DT Byron Murphy

Texas is certainly back with elite NFL Draft talent that is going to impress this spring.

I have looked forward to diving into the tape from the two big Texas defensive tackles in our next few days and today we tackle the smaller of the two – but still plenty big – the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, Byron Murphy:

No. 90 - Byron Murphy - Age 21 - Junior - 6’0 - 297 - 32 3/8 arms - Texas

Murphy was a huge part of a Longhorns defense that made a national title run in 2023 and was impossible to run against. How much so? Well, if you wanted to run against Texas this year, you ran into a brick wall repeatedly. Only Penn State and UCLA offered less success in yards per game and those same two schools were the only two to allow less yards per rush, too.

There is no question what made that so difficult – having Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat clogging up the middle all season long. There were plenty of games this season where opponents got nothing and then that concession to the ground being stopped made rushing the passer more of a premium treat and they jumped on that well, too.

Now, the rotation and the depth of talent in Austin has kept Murphy at 30 snaps per game through his three years and therefore he is under 1,200 snaps. But, we watched enough to know that while his size is a concern, the talent levels are not an issue and he is a very polished player. In fact, one of his best and most impressive performances was the showing at Alabama this year where he helped boss the game.