In searching for clues from the last two years for a hint to what the Chicago Bears will do Thursday night in the NFL draft — after the presumed selection of USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick — it’s instructive to weigh actions more heavily than words.
In the hazy days leading up to the draft, one way to determine what’s real (very little) and what’s subterfuge (a lot) as teams and agents play liar’s poker is to gather potential signs from the past.
The Bears also own the No. 9 pick and will be positioned to add a difference maker at a variety of positions. Wide receiver, offensive tackle and edge rusher have been mentioned most prominently in the last couple of months, but it’s worth wondering if general manager Ryan Poles’ attention will turn to Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who plays a position the team hasn’t exactly filled yet for coach Matt Eberflus.
It’s not like the Bears haven’t taken some cracks at acquiring a three-technique tackle, the marquee position in their base Tampa-2 defensive scheme. They took a big swing at Larry Ogunjobi in free agency in 2022 only to void the deal when he failed a physical. The Bears pivoted to Justin Jones, who was productive for two seasons but hardly elite, before he departed via free agency last month.
Poles used second- and third-round picks last year on tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens. Dexter came on during the second half of his rookie season, but he’s probably a more ideal fit as a nose tackle. Pickens flashed at times and remains in the plans.
Murphy could be a perfect fit at a position Eberflus has described as the “engine” of the defense. A difference maker at that position provides much more than statistical production as an interior pass rusher. The scheme is designed to get consistent penetration in the B-gap, with the three-technique aligned on the outside shade of the guard. He can draw the center in pass protection and can be a disruptive force versus the run.
In a conference call last week, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah mentioned Murphy as a player who could emerge as a top-10 selection. If so, the Bears would figure to be an ideal landing spot, and it’s unlikely he slides out of the top half of Round 1.
It’s possible the Bears could trade down slightly and pick Murphy, but there’s buzz he could be the first defensive player selected. The Atlanta Falcons are at No. 8 with a coach in Raheem Morris who came from the Los Angeles Rams and knows firsthand after coaching future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald how impactful a game wrecker in the middle of the defense can be.
Murphy is coming off a junior season for the Longhorns in which he led all FBS interior linemen with a 19.6% pressure rate, according to Pro Football Focus, and he had a strong showing at the scouting combine. He measured 6-foot-0½ and 297 pounds and cruised through the 40-yard dash in 4.87 seconds (a 1.69 split for the first 10 yards). He had a 33-inch vertical jump and put up 28 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds.
Murphy was the Big 12 defensive lineman of the year after recording five sacks, 8½ tackles for a loss and seven quarterback hurries. A running back growing up, he also scored two touchdowns — one receiving and one rushing — while moonlighting on offense.
Murphy is such a clean prospect — he stayed healthy over three seasons, playing in all 39 of Texas’ games — he hasn’t been on the road much in the predraft process, making top-30 visits to only the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A long list of teams, including the Bears, has met with him via Zoom. The Bears sent defensive line coach Travis Smith to Murphy’s pro day in Austin, Texas.
One consistent question emerged as he met with nearly every team: Why did he spend last season primarily at nose tackle with 6-4, 366-pound T’Vondre Sweat at three-technique? Logically it should have been the other way around.
“I told them that’s what (defensive line) coach Bo (Davis) wanted,” Murphy said. “In that defense, the nose position was the enforcer. You’re the guy that sets the tone. That’s why I was the nose the majority of the season.”
That kind of answer ought to resonate with teams wondering how Murphy might fit into their structure and how coachable he is.
Asked what his greatest strength is, Murphy didn’t want to limit himself to one.
“My greatest strength as a player is I can stop the run at any time,” he said. “I can also pass rush. I’m a three-down lineman. You can’t miss me. Whatever a coach needs to get done, I am that player to step up and get it done. I can do it all.”
He said he got a good vibe from every team he met with and described the virtual meeting with the Bears as an introduction to their scheme.
“They were showing me how I would fit in the defense, what I would play in it,” Murphy said. “Showing me their playbook and everything and how they operate there. I enjoyed the meeting. I feel like I would fit perfectly in their scheme. If they pick me, they pick me.”
Brandon Tucker, who trained Murphy the last several months at Exos in Frisco, Texas, actually met him a decade ago when Tucker’s kids were playing against Murphy in youth football in DeSoto, Texas. Tucker was working with Murphy when he made the transition from a very large running back to defensive tackle.
“It was like a fish to water,” said Tucker, who trained Bears defensive end Montez Sweat before the 2019 draft. “It was as natural of a transition as you would hope for.”
They primarily focused this winter on preparing him for the combine and pro day workouts because Murphy, whom Tucker calls a “quiet storm,” was polished as a player.
“The way he was coached at Texas, he was almost flawless at just about everything he needed,” Tucker said. “There’s nothing I can say, ‘He just needs to work on this.’ He was really, really good at every aspect of run defense and pass rush. He knows who he is.”
To truly discover who he is, Murphy had to hear from his mother, Seneca. That happened during a car ride shortly before he entered high school as a 220-pound freshman. Murphy doesn’t remember where the family was headed but distinctly remembers sitting in the back seat when she turned around.
“I had played running back all my life and my heart will always be at that position,” he said. “We’re driving and my mom turns around and she just told me: ‘Son, you’re not playing running back no more. You might as well get ready to go to defense.’
“I broke down. Almost started crying. I just knew I was going to be a running back in the NFL growing up. That didn’t turn out. I’m a defensive lineman. She crushed my heart. She knew. I am happy she told me.”
Murphy decided to celebrate the draft — and wherever he lands — at a party with friends and family in Dallas.
“Really excited and blessed to be part of it, living out a dream,” he said.
A dream shaped in part by a mother’s football intuition.
