Bengals rookie DE Myles Murphy's confidence will come in time
His reputation will be defined by turning quarterback hurries into sacks, but there is no real hurry for Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy to succeed right away. There is ample depth in front of the 21-year old first round selection from this year's NFL Draft, and his first preseason performance showed he's only begun […]
His reputation will be defined by turning quarterback hurries into sacks, but there is no real hurry for Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy to succeed right away.
There is ample depth in front of the 21-year old first round selection from this year's NFL Draft, and his first preseason performance showed he's only begun his road to being fully developed as a pass rusher.
In Murphy's own words, the biggest adjustment from shining in the college game to growing in the NFL is all mental.
"The biggest thing for me is confidence," Murphy told AllBengals.com's James Rapien. "That's the biggest thing right there. Let my coach do the thinking. It's a matter of just knowing my keys, knowing when I lineup. This is my job. Now just having confidence in my rush or hands, you know just getting after it, going full speed."
Murphy is going through what every rookie has gone through in some way, shape, or form. Sometimes it's much more noticeable. Ja'Marr Chase's rookie training camp and preseason was chock full of dropped passes. Many claimed him to be a bust without even waiting for the games to get real. Chase went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and make the Pro Bowl.
The waiting is the hardest part, but that's what it will take with Murphy. He needs reps, and experience in order to regain the confidence he played with at Clemson. He isn't the first rookie to deal with this process, and he won't be the last who simply needs time to work through it.
In his preseason debut, Murphy was credited with two pressures on 23 pass rushing snaps. One of them resulted in a QB hit, though it came after the throw. That he mistimed the rush and still ended up beating the left tackle around the edge shows how raw and talented he really is.
When Murphy does go full speed, there aren't many who are faster. Listed at 6-5 and 275 pounds, Murphy has legitimate 4.5 speed and can explode off the line. Translating that to tangible production takes work, and doesn't happen overnight.
Murphy will be on display throughout the Bengals' next preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons this Friday evening at 7:30pm ET.
Bengals have a great problem on their hands with Myles Murphy
Cincinnati is the perfect place for Murphy to develop at his own pace.
Featured image via © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
