Carolina Panthers eyeing playmaking CB Byron Murphy
The Carolina Panthers would be wise to select Murphy if he falls them at the appropriate spot in the NFL Draft.
As the NFL Draft gets closer and closer, more teams are looking at prospects, hoping that they will fit with what the respective organizations want to do. The Carolina Panthers are no exception to this, and they are said to be interested in a prospect that has caught the eye of many teams.
According to a report by Rob Rang of Football Maven, Carolina was at the Washington Huskies Pro Day. One player they have interest in is cornerback Byron Murphy. Following Murphy’s workout, a Panthers representative was waiting to meet with him.
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The Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all covet Murphy. Honestly, it makes sense why they would. He was a very solid cornerback last year, and he certainly showed it on the field.
Murphy had a tremendous 2018 season, playing in 14 games and tallying 58 tackles, 13 passes defensed, and four interceptions. In addition, he forced a fumble, in effect showing he could do it all defensively. His shining moment came in the Pac-12 Championship Game as he recorded two interceptions including a 66-yard snag that he took the house. He was named the MVP of that game, and in the process Washington earned a trip to the Rose Bowl. Murphy was given the honor of a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection for his tremendous overall season in 2018. To put it simply, this guy can ball.
Some of you may be wondering why would the Carolina Panthers want to draft a cornerback considering they already have Donte Jackson. The Panthers need depth at the position badly, and Murphy would be a great fit. He is physical, he is a ball hawk, and he can make big plays. Him and Jackson have similar play styles and we already saw the tremendously positive impact Jackson had on the defense in 2018. Adding Murphy to the secondary would be awesome for the Panthers because it would allow them to potentially have two physical cornerbacks who can make plays on the field. That way, Jackson wouldn’t be left hung out to dry, as was the case many times in 2018.
dark. Next. First-round pick would make Panthers history
It will be interesting to see what Carolina does in this draft. Murphy would certainly fill a need. According to WalterFootball.com Murphy is projected to be drafted in the first or second round, and my guess is that he will fall to the second. The Panthers have the 15th overall pick in the second round, so they may be on the outside looking in for Murphy. However, should he still be there by the time they pick, he would certainly be a welcome selection.