Mock draft update: Byron Murphy falls to Chiefs in first round

The Kansas City Chiefs could benefit from soaring draft stock of other players with a new mock that shows Byron Murphy falling to them in the first.

With the 2019 NFL Combine nearing its conclusion (only defensive backs remain on the workout schedule), a new set of mock drafts are coming out showcasing changes in the stocks of players who “won” or “lost” at the combine depending on their overall performance. If Kyle Crabbs is right, the Chiefs could benefit from the buzz.

Crabbs, one of the featured writers at The Draft Network, has Washington cornerback Byron Murphy falling all the way to No. 29 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round.

In his latest mock, Murphy would be a bit shocked to go overlooked for so long after being named as one of the draft’s best pass defenders. Crabbs himself is a bit surprised it took this long to insert Murphy into position. He writes:

"What a steal this would be. Murphy is an elite talent, as far as I’m concerned. But in pegging some favorable fits together on this draft, Murphy became a victim of some team fits and the fact that he’s a smaller cornerback. I don’t care about the size one bit and based on the Chiefs’ cornerback group, they won’t either. It doesn’t matter, this dude can BALL."

It should be noted that this mock draft was released on the very day that defensive backs have yet to be given center stage at the NFL Combine. The media will watch Murphy and others like Greedy Williams, Deandre Baker, Trayvon Mullen and more in drills on Monday which could create the sort of meteoric rise for others that will render this a moot scenario or actually embolden it due to others turning heads alongside Murphy.

The reality is that if Murphy is within even a trade grasp of the Chiefs spot in the first round, it would not surprise anyone to see general manager Brett Veach making the move here. Murphy’s game tape is very impressive, showing a strong combination of instincts and intelligence to fool quarterbacks time and again.

As a sophomore last season for Washington, he had 4 interceptions, 13 pass deflections, and 58 total tackles, and earned a second-team All America nod from the Associated Press.