NFL Draft 2019: Chiefs should target cornerback Byron Murphy

STRENGTHS

Given their issues against the run over the last couple years, the  Chiefs would do well to stock up on players who can help their cause. They’ve already brought in players like defensive end Alex Okafor, a run-stopping edge first, via free agency. Byron Murphy checks this box at corner, a prospect who has no problem getting dirty to take on the running game and screen passes.

One of Deandre Baker’s flaws was his lack of effort against the run. Murphy is the complete opposite. He brings an elite effort when it comes to stopping the run, whether asked to shed blockers or beating them to the spot. Murphy is extremely physical, and is willing to drop his shoulder to lay a massive hit on a running back/receiver in the short game.

Whether in the run game or short passing situations, Murphy doesn’t hesitate and closes quickly. Most of his pass breakups came in front of him on short passing routes under ten yards from the line of scrimmage. He does an excellent job of timing these passes and either contesting the catch points or laying a brutal hit on the receiver forcing an incompletion. While he might be a smaller cornerback, he hits like a big one.

A study of Murphy requires more games than normal as some of the top teams tended to go away from him for almost the entire length of games. That was definitely the case against Ohio State in the Bowl game. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins rarely even looked in Murphy’s direction and when he did decide to throw into his coverage, they were wildly inaccurate. Some of that could stem from Murphy’s performance the game prior against Utah in the Pac-12 championship where he came away with two interceptions and a pass deflection.

Murphy took on top competition in 2018 and still was able to improve off of his 2017 season. His best traits come in zone coverage and off man. In both coverages, Murphy has elite recognition of route concepts and where the ball is going and when to strike. Almost all of his interceptions and pass breakups came in these two coverages on shallow routes where he timed a perfect hit or fought at the catch point.

Out of all of the cornerbacks I’ve reviewed so far, Murphy might be the best at breaking up passes. With 13 PBU’s in 2018 alone and another seven in his six games from 2017, there’s no question that Murphy excels at the catch point. High football IQ and awareness gives him the ability to not only fight at the catch point or drop a shoulder but the ability to anticipate and jump routes.

Given Murphy’s immediate shift of hips toward the inside of the field right off the snap, he consistently read the quarterback and kept his hips turned around in order to not get beat in his backpedal. He was rarely contested over his back shoulder due to this stance.

Murphy also has the sticky coverage and quickness to recover from early separation. A great deal of this comes from his elite footwork. He has a rare change of direction abilities and a burst that allows him to close immediately on passes. When playing the underneath routes in press man coverage, Murphy can stay on just about any receiver. That’s something that should comfort Chiefs fans that are having nightmares from the AFC Championship of Julian Edelman constantly open over the middle.