If there’s one Tennessee Titans undrafted free agent signing who has caught the attention of fans and media, it’s Ferris State edge rusher, Caleb Murphy.
That attention comes from the fact that Murphy tallied an NCAA record 25.5 sacks in his final season with the Bulldogs. As a junior, he finished with 15, giving him an impressive 40.5 sacks over his final two collegiate seasons.
The knock on those numbers, of course, is that Murphy tallied them at a D2 school. However, at least he dominated that level of competition, am I right?
Nevertheless, the 6-foot-3, 254-pound EDGE enters a fairly favorable situation with the Titans, a team that needs to lock down a fourth outside linebacker outside of Harold Landry, Arden Key and Rashad Weaver.
In my way-too-early 53-man roster projection, I have Murphy grabbing that final spot at outside linebacker, but there’s a long way to go with OTAs, mandatory minicamp and training camp still to come.
In order to get more information on the Ferris State product, we’ve rounded up some scouting reports to get a feel for how experts viewed him prior to the draft. A few of them even had Murphy being drafted.
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
STRENGTHS: Displays natural pass-rush instincts … runs the arc with thought and urgency to stay free from blocks … has a few “go-to” moves, including a jab-jump through to the outside with a club-rip … large hands are physical and non-passive … sets up blockers with an inside counter to disrupt weight transfer … dips his body around the reach of blockers … always keeps tabs on the football to retrace and let his motor clean up plays … exceptional production with 60.5 tackles for loss, 40.0 sacks and eight forced fumbles in 29 games at Ferris State … became the first Ted Hendricks Award winner to play outside of the FBS.
WEAKNESSES: Undersized with middling arm length and play strength … posted below-average athletic testing numbers during the pre-draft process … first step is solid but not exceptional … stiff punches can rock him off his rush path … speed-to-power conversions will meet quick resistance against pros … not going to outphysical NFL offensive tackles with his hands … average base strength and can be locked up or moved by drive blocks … reactive athleticism for sudden direction change is lacking … all of his experience has come against Division II competition.
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Ferris State, Murphy lined up as an edge rusher in defensive coordinator Ryan Hodges’ attacking scheme. A five-sport athlete in high school, he led Ferris State to back-to-back Division II national titles the last two seasons and had a record-breaking senior year, leading the NCAA in tackles for loss (39.0) and sacks (25.5). The latter number broke Terrell Suggs’ all-divisions single-season NCAA sack record. A light-framed and peppy rusher, Murphy uses natural dip to get underneath the reach of blockers and credits his ability to play close to the ground from wrestling most of his life. He needs to continue developing his strength and prove he can mix up his pass rush against higher-quality offensive linemen. Overall, Murphy is missing twitchy explosion and power in his pass rush, but he is slippery and instinctive with the backfield production that cannot be ignored (even if it did come against Division II competition). He is a draft-and-develop rotational pass rusher.
GRADE: 6th-7th Round
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Overview
An edge defender with adequate size and skill, Murphy will need to prove his gaudy production can translate into an opportunity to make plays on the professional level. He dominated Division II competition with stat lines that are inconceivable. However, his rush appeared to lack power and unpredictability when matched against better opponents during his week at the East-West Shrine Bowl. He plays with average explosiveness but a quality motor and could create buzz in the future if he can become a more diverse and skilled rusher.
Strengths
Posted an astounding 40 sacks with 60.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons.
Charges toward the pocket with inside/out fakes to open the corner.
Swift, forceful chop can eliminate puncher’s outside hand.
Maintains step cadence to eventually find an edge.
Refuses to stall his motor when attacking the pocket.
Drives hands upward into leveraged strike to set the edge.
Weaknesses
Monster production came against Division II competition.
Needs to continue adding lean muscle to his frame.
Struggled to beat run-blocking tight ends at East-West Shrine Bowl.
Below-average knee bend in his rush.
Needs to develop and get to rush counters more quickly.
Would benefit from better marriage of hands and feet.
The NFL Draft Bible, Sports Illustrated
Evaluation:
Murphy took official measurements at the Shrine Bowl. He’s 6030 and weighs 254 lbs. He has ten-inch hands, 32 5/8-inch arms, and a 79 3/4-inch wingspan. At Ferris State, Murphy frequently took snaps in a stand up two-point stance but also has experience in a three-point stance. He took advantage of some snaps from wider alignments in the 7 and 9-tech positions while also receiving a steady diet of snaps in a traditional 5-tech role. Ferris State occasionally dropped Murphy into coverage as an inside linebacker or blitzed him from that alignment so he could ram into guards with a full head of steam. Those aren’t roles he’ll fulfill in the NFL. Murphy imposed his physical dominance on the NCAA Division II level during his two seasons with the Bulldogs. Many of the opponents he faced had no counter for his acceleration, closing burst, and power. A large portion of his wins came from hustle plays and out-athlete-ing the competition. However, Murphy still displays many desirable traits. He quickly accelerates into his rush and activates his hands early in the play. Murphy gets into and attacks the tackle’s chest, frequently converting speed to power on a bull rush or deploying a long arm move. He also uses a double-handed swipe, rip move, and spin move. His hands pack enough pop to stun linemen. Murphy showed flashes of reducing his surface area and attempting to dip under tackles at the peak of his rush. The Michigan native has strong leg drive and excellent closing speed as a backside run defender. His motor runs hot, and he’s relentless in pursuit. Murphy displays good balance to maintain his footing when cut low by blockers. Unfortunately, Murphy doesn’t have much real game tape against NFL-caliber competition. His arm length falls below the 33-inch threshold, and he possesses limited bend and short-area agility. The reigning Ted Hendricks Award winner has room to improve his pad level and time the snap better. Murphy was physically dominant at the Division II level, but he entered the pre-draft process with limited technical refinement. He lacks a deep bag of pass rush moves and counters. Attempting to win with acceleration and speed often led Murphy too far upfield and out of the play. Offensive linemen occasionally torqued him out of rushing lanes. Murphy doesn’t consistently set a hard edge against the run. Sometimes he collapses too far inside and opens outside rush lanes. Linemen had some success sealing him inside or outside on run plays. Murphy lacks the agility, awareness, and instincts to play off-ball linebacker in the NFL.
Grade:
6th Round
CBS Sports
Summary:
Caleb Murphy is a fluid edge rusher who is used as an off-ball linebacker at times. He shows a variety of moves off the edge but is unable to turn speed to power with below-average play strength. Murphy has average waist bend at the high side of his rush but struggles to get off blocks. He will always give maximum effort.
Strengths:
Fluid athlete who plays to the whistle
Average waist bend at the high side of his rush
Shows a rip around the edge, euro step and other moves
Weaknesses:
Below-average play strength
Struggles to get off blocks
Fails to turn speed to power
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