The Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavily linked to offensive tackles, centers, and cornerbacks in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft throughout the pre-draft process, but one position that hasn’t been talked about much is the defensive line.
CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson made it a point to address the defensive line talk Thursday during an appearance on the 93.7 The Fan Joe Show with host Joe Starkey, stating that if Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II is on the board at No. 20 overall, the Steelers should “knock over anyone in their way” to select the Longhorns’ standout.
“If he’s there at 20? The Steelers should knock over anyone in their way to take him,” Wilson said to Starkey regarding Murphy, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “Is it a glaring need? No, but Cam Heyward’s not gonna play forever. Keeanu Benton did a really good job as a rookie last year. The thing with Byron is he weighs about 292 and he played next to T’Vondre Sweat, who weighs 360. They had Byron playing over the center at times last year at Texas, but he’ll probably play more likely over the guard or in the A or B gap and be a guy who creates all sorts of problems.
“He can consistently win versus double teams. And to your point, if you are collapsing the pocket, it makes things a lot easier for guys named T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. He’s a special player.
Murphy checked in at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis at 6004, 297 pounds with 32 3/8-inch arms. With those measurements, he’s a bit undersized for what the Steelers like along the defensive line historically.
However, they could be changing what they look for in the trenches defensively based on recent moves, including the drafting of Keeanu Benton last year, DeMarvin Leal two years ago, and the retaining of Montravius Adams in free agency. They’ve shown more interest to date in the pre-draft process with smaller, more athletic defensive linemen like Florida State’s Braden Fiske and Northern Iowa’s Kristian Boyd.
In his career in college, Murphy was a force on a great Texas defensive line.
Over three seasons at Texas in 39 games with 16 career starts, Murphy recorded 70 tackles, 15 TFLs, 11 missed tackles, and eight sacks, dominating throughout his time in Austin. Murphy had a great 2023 season, earning Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors while also earning a second-team All-American accolade.
Though he’s on the smaller side, the tape looks very good from Murphy, who moves well and has great athleticism. It’s also backed up by some terrific testing that saw him earn a 9.20 Relative Athletic Scoring from Kent Lee Platte.
In his scouting report for Steelers Depot of Murphy, Jim Hester compared the Texas product to Atlanta star defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, another smaller, agile defensive lineman who has had a terrific career to date.
“Murphy is a high-level defensive tackle with positional versatility to be considered a 3-down player at the next level. His best position would mostly be at the 3i position in a 4-3 defense at the NFL level, but he could also play as a 4-5i or seldom 0-1i defensive tackle in a 3-4 defense. He is an ascending run defender and already displays an extremely high level of pass-rush ability.”
Depth and youth are real concerns along the Steelers’ defensive line. Heyward is 35, and Larry Ogunjobi is 30. The Steelers also signed veteran defensive lineman Dean Lowry to a two-year deal in free agency, and he is 29, turning 30 in June.
Benton and Leal are the two youngest players on the defensive line. While Benton showed real promise last season, Leal lost the 2023 season.
Murphy would be quite the intriguing pick for the Steelers in the first round at No. 20 overall. But it doesn’t exactly plug a major need like an offensive tackle, center, receiver, or cornerback would. He’d be the best player available in that scenario, which wouldn’t exactly be a mistake, either.
