If you can’t get excited about seeing what Byron Murphy can do working under the best defensive playcaller in the NFL, then we can’t help you.
After the Seahawks selected Murphy in the first round of the draft, Macdonald gushed to reporters about what he can do for this team.
#Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald on what stood out to him about Byron Murphy #NFLDraft
“He plays our style of football.” @933KJR pic.twitter.com/wVrEICO8Cr
— Jessamyn McIntyre (@JessamynMcIntyr) April 26, 2024
The standard for Macdonald’s Ravens defense last season was set by Justin Madubuike, who totaled 13 sacks, 33 quarterback hits and 12 tackles for a loss. While it wouldn’t be fair to hold Murphy to anything approaching that production as a rookie, the hope is that Seattle is getting a similar super-disruptive force for their interior pass rush.
With Leonard Williams lining up on the other side of Jarran Reed it’s going to be tough for opponents to double team Murphy, which should open up a lot of opportunities for him. Pressure compounds and the more pass rushers the Seahawks can put on the field the more likely they’ll be able to wreck other teams’ backfields the way their own has been for so many years. That’s why we think the one missing piece they need most right now is another plus edge rusher to backup Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe.
It’s possible they have already found him, though. Undrafted free agent Nelson Ceasar out of Houston had a fifth-round grade and should be able to break into the rotation as a rookie. Our latest projection has him making the initial 53-man roster.
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