They say confidence is key, and confidence is a feeling Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II is not lacking in. Murphy is a prospect in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft and has a solid prediction of when he will be taken, based on what he says he has heard.
"I've been hearing that I won't go later than 16," Murphy said (via Dallas Morning News).
He continued backing himself, adding, "With my style of play, I feel like nobody can play like me. Nobody can do the things I do. I feel like I'm one of a kind. My tape speaks for itself."
CBS Sports mock drafts have him being selected between No. 17 and No. 23 overall, but notes he could go earlier. There are 32 selections in the first round, so anywhere No. 17 and after puts him in the second half of Day 1. If they are any indication of where he will go, he may be disappointed in being taken later than he expected. The mock drafts describe Murphy as a "long armed, squatty, explosive" defensive tackle.
Murphy has the fourth-best odds to be the first defensive player selected at +325, per Caesar's Sportsbook. SportsLine has Murphy jumping from -125 to -225 on going under 14.5 and is listed as -185 as of Tuesday morning, via Circa. DraftKings moved him from 15.5 to 14.5 with -150 on the under.
In 2023 he was named a Second Team All-American and First Team All-Big 12 and had the highest PFF pass-rush grade (91.5) among FBS defensive tackles. His size is a weakness that can impact his success rate against the run.
The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET in Detroit.
