The Cincinnati Bengals have been here before. Three years ago, they had the chance to take a player high on their board at the inflection point between the first and second round. He was a 21-year old player out of Clemson who was a five-star recruit, and fell much farther than the consensus believed he would.

No, Myles Murphy isn't Tee Higgins, but the similarities exist to a certain degree.

Cincinnati's newest player isn't the flashiest player at his position. The word flashy isn't in any scouting report you can find on him. Words like "powerful" and "dependable" are more common. A perfect edge rusher he is not, but an ideal edge rusher the Bengals target? That he is.

Look at the Bengals' current crop of edges, and you'll find eight other players who are about 6'4" and around 270 pounds. Not many of them have a ton of bend to their game, but they're ferocious when chasing the ball carrier and can push the pocket with solid power and explosiveness.

You can't describe Murphy better if you wanted to. He checks off virtually every box they have when evaluating the position, and that leaves not that much mystery in terms of how he projects within the defense. 

Wanted to point out this line from @MoveTheSticks in his Myles Murphy scouting report that screamed #Bengals from the first time I saw it:

"I love his motor and nonstop effort to chase plays from the back side."

Trait of every single DL they employ.

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) April 28, 2023

There's a definite long-term plan for Murphy, who is one of the youngest players in this entire draft class. He becomes the favorite to replace Trey Hendrickson down the road, be it in two years when Hendrickson's contract expires, or next year if the Pro Bowler becomes a cap casualty. The crux lies in what his immediate impact will look like.

Hendrickson is involved in that as well. Cincinnati's best pass-rusher missed a handful of games last season with a broken wrist, and the defense struggled to generate meaningful pressure with him off the field. According to Pro Football Focus' Andrew Russell, there weren't 10 teams who were worse at rushing the passer than the Hendrickson-less Bengals last year.

With Trey Hendrickson off the field, the Bengals had a bottom-10 unit in pass rush win rate and pressure rate.

BJ Hill and Sam Hubbard each played 950+ snaps.

Stop saying they didn't need another pass rusher.

— Andrew Russell (@Andrew_Russell7) April 28, 2023

Hendrickson is still in his prime, but that window is dwindling. He'll turn 29 during the 2023 season and has played a ton of snaps over the past two years. Sooner or later, he will start to break down, and the best way to prolong that from happening is making sure he's not overworked.

Having enough quality depth behind him and Sam Hubbard has been a struggle during back-to-back long seasons. Their pass-rush wearing down when stakes were at their highest has been an issue not many wanted to discuss this offseason compared to offensive line and skill position questions. 

With Murphy, the defensive end group becomes crowded in all the right ways. 2021 picks Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample aren't on the hot seat, but their playing time will be tested now that a first-rounder is in the room.

That's another factor entirely: Murphy is the only first-round defensive lineman the franchise has taken in the last 20 years. On draft status alone, he likely becomes the first guy off the bench when Hendrickson is rotated off for rest.  

There's also the aspect of versatility with Murphy. He's had experience playing at 4i and 3-technique for Clemson under multiple defensive coordinators. His skillset is that of someone who can provide burst up the middle when aligned between the tackles. The Bengals desperately need that, so much that Murphy alone doesn't solve the problem, but he does alleviate some worry.

Murphy, Ossai, and Sample headline a group of edges that's rounded out by free agent signing Tarrel Basham, last year's seventh round pick Jeff Gunter, who was considered a value pick at the time, and a couple other camp bodies. They're exuding reliable depth at a position that hasn't had much in a minute.

The Bengals are at their best defensively when Hendrickson, and Hubbard for that matter, are on the field. In the unfortunate cases when they're not, Murphy's first-year impact will be seen the most to keep the pass-rush afloat.