Welcome to the 23rd daily installment of the NFL Draft 1-through-32 series on DK Pittsburgh Sports, intended to introduce you, a prospect at a time, to the top 32 players in the class on a consensus basis, leading right up to the main event.
That, of course, will be April 27-29, in Kansas City, Mo., though all 32 teams, including the Steelers on the South Side, will operate from their local headquarters.
NO. 23: MYLES MURPHY
Clemson defensive end
Murphy is the No. 23-rated player on Pro Football Focus' big board. He has the size to mold as an NFL defensive end, and he backed it up with three consistent years of production in the Dabo Swinney defense at Clemson.
COLLEGE BACKGROUND
The first-team All-ACC selection Murphy accumulated 45 tackles, 11.0 for loss, a team-high-tying 6.5 sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in 580 defensive snaps over the span of 13 games in 2022. He had a breakout game against Florida State last season in which he racked up six tackles, 3.5 for loss, to go with 2.0 sacks.
Murphy was a second-team All-ACC pick after a 2021 season in which he tallied team-highs in tackles for loss (14.0) and sacks (7.0) over the course of 549 snaps across 13 games.
He was recognized as a Freshman All-American by four outlets and was the Associated Press' ACC Co-Newcomer of the Year following his dominant freshman season in 2020. He led Clemson with 12.0 tackles for loss to go with 4.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass breakup in 414 snaps over 12 games.
Add all of it up, Murphy posted 116 total tackles, 36.0 for loss and 18.5 sacks with five passes defended and six forced fumbles over the course of three seasons.
The Powder Springs, Ga., native was a consensus five-star recruit and was the No. 7 overall prospect in the class of 2020, according to the 247Sports composite. He held 16 offers out of high school -- all from Power Five schools -- including from Penn State. At the time, he earned an NFL comparison to then-Dallas defensive end Kony Ealy, as he measured at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds three years ago.
NFL COMBINE, PRO DAY
Fast-forward three years, and Murphy measured at he same height and weighed eight pounds heavier than his high school measurements, as taken at the NFL Combine. He measured at a 33 3/4-inch arm length and an 8 1/2-inch hand width.
Murphy only tested in the bench press as he dealt with a hamstring injury at the Combine. His 25 reps finished at a tie for sixth among Combine DEs and six off of the pace of 31 set by Kansas' Lonnie Phelps. He earned a composite NFL Next Gen Stats grade of 80, fourth-highest among Combine DEs.
He saved all of the "wow" factor for his pro day as he bulked up to 271 pounds. He impressed with a 4.51 40-yard dash, 7.20 three-cone and a 4.35 shuttle. Those results, among Combine defensive ends, would have finished tied for sixth, tied for fifth and third, respectively.
Travon Walker, the top-overall pick from last year's draft, finished with similar results in his pre-draft tests. He ran a 4.51 40, a 6.89 three-cone and a 4.32 shuttle prior to his selection by Jacksonville:
Myles Murphy showed OUT at his Pro Day today.
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) April 5, 2023
The Clemson Edge has been drawing several comparisons to last year’s first overall pick, Travon Walker.
Today, Murphy weighed in at 6’5”, 271 pounds, ran a 4.51 40-Yard Dash, 7.20 3-Cone, and 4.35 Shuttle.
Last year, Travon Walker… pic.twitter.com/hADqqV16X1
Myles Murphy is a DE prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.88 #RAS out of a possible 10.00 after a strong second pro day performance. This ranked 20 out of 1605 DE from 1987 to 2023.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 4, 2023
Assuming official times are close, great score.
https://t.co/gAxdY6lmjT pic.twitter.com/B3up9peyyu
MOCK DRAFT
The USA Today mock draft consensus tracker has Murphy going at No. 17 overall to the Steelers, with an average draft slotting at 19.5. Our own latest mock draft has Murphy going to New Orleans at pick No. 29.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE STEELERS' STANDPOINT
Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan attended the Clemson pro day, though Murphy was just among the few prospects of interest for the two to view. Also there were defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and linebacker Trenton Simpson, the latter later saying he had dinner with Tomlin and Steelers personnel.
COREY'S TAKE
Murphy certainly seems more of a fit for the Steelers than Georgia's Nolan Smith would be, given Murphy's ability to play down on the line and within multiple looks of a defense. His production at Clemson and his measurables speak for themselves, and whereas Smith could profile more as a stand-up edge rusher, Murphy can be combined with Cam Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi and Co. down on the defensive line.
THE REST
1. Alabama QB Bryce Young
2. Georgia DT Jalen Carter
3. Alabama DE Will Anderson Jr.
4. Kentucky QB Will Levis
5. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
6. Florida QB Anthony Richardson
7. Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
8. Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson
9. TCU WR Quentin Johnston
10. Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
11. Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski
12. Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
13. Pitt DT Calijah Kancey
14. Iowa DE Lukas Van Ness
15. Utah TE Dalton Kincaid
16. Maryland CB Deonte Banks
17. Alabama S Brian Branch
18. Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
19. Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.
20. Tennessee OT Darnell Wright
21. Clemson DT Bryan Bresee
22. Georgia DE Nolan Smith
