Bengals 1st round pick Myles Murphy's impact may be felt earlier than expected
The best draft picks are the ones that provide long-term value, and immediate impact. Players who can get on the field early to help a team win games in the present, and play well enough in the coming years to offer an inexpensive starter at a valuable position. That's what first-round pick Myles Murphy can […]
The best draft picks are the ones that provide long-term value, and immediate impact. Players who can get on the field early to help a team win games in the present, and play well enough in the coming years to offer an inexpensive starter at a valuable position.
That's what first-round pick Myles Murphy can bring to the Cincinnati Bengals. The 28th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft will be tasked of helping out the defensive end rotation before eventually becoming a full-time starter in the next few years. And at a premium position, that's immensely beneficial with sizable contracts set to be given out by the franchise for other important players, like quarterback Joe Burrow.
As far as his instant impact, that may be seen even more than we would've imagined right after he was drafted last Thursday evening.
Murphy, a career right defensive end for Clemson, logically fits behind Trey Hendrickson at that exact spot for the Bengals. The current backup behind Hendrickson is Joseph Ossai, who took notable steps in his first year of starting last year.
Ossai has a promising future with the Bengals, but he's currently recovering from an injury. After having surgery to repair a torn labrum, he's expected to miss the next few months, taking him out of OTA work and potentially the first part of training camp in July.
Murphy's first chance of making a good impression is this week at rookie minicamps, but Ossai obviously won't be attended that as a veteran. OTAs in June are where we'll see the entire defensive line group together for the first time, and where Murphy may get those reps ahead of the rehabbing Ossai.
July will be here in a heartbeat, and if Ossai is still working his way back to full strength, those are more reps for Murphy to take advantage of his role as the third-edge defender on the depth chart.
There's no guarantee that Murphy will capitalize on those reps, but as a first-round pick, expectations are naturally high. He brings a level of power and athleticism that usually translates in the run game immediately, and most of his pass-rusher production will be from his hustle and cleaning up pressures generated from other defensive linemen on the team.
Alongside Murphy, Cam Sample, Jeff Gunter, and free agent signing Tarell Basham will also get in as many reps to establish themselves in the edge defender rotation. The deeper the group, the greater the rotation. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will also appreciate that.
