Texas' Byron Murphy II is poised to become the latest Longhorn to star in Seattle | Golden

Byron Murphy II will do big things in Seattle.

He grew up in Dallas Cowboys country, but the Texas defensive tackle only had eyes for the Seahawks during his childhood.

“I really loved the Legion of Boom with Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Michael Bennett, all of those guys,” Murphy said. “Then you had all of those offensive guys. Watching them growing up, they dominated the league and won the Super Bowl and everything, so just growing up watching them, that’s all I wanted was to win a Super Bowl and win games.”

The Seahawks grabbed him with the 16th pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, and he figures to be a plug-and-play interior lineman for a defense that was tied for fifth worst against the run last season, allowing 4.7 yards per carry. Only one team gave up more than the 24 rushing touchdowns Seattle surrendered last season, so the team addressed a problem area with one of the best defensive tackles in the country.

At 6 feet and a couple of biscuits shy of 300 pounds, Murphy is lighter than Longhorn legend Casey Hampton but has a frame that can add more bulk. Hampton, who was the 19th overall pick in the 2001 draft, played 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won two Super Bowls.

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Murphy, whose family lovingly calls him "Fat Mack," will have to add another 15 pounds or so to deal with the league's largest human beings through the rigors of a 17-game regular season and beyond.

Scouts love his quick-twitch athleticism and the toughness he shows in the trenches, even if he is undersized for an interior lineman. They love his motor and effort, intangibles that are more self-driven than coach-created. Among current NFL players, he’s mostly compared to Houston Cougars legend Ed Oliver, now with the Buffalo Bills.

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“(Murphy’s) a disruptive, penetrating type player, so whatever front you’re looking at, he can be a great player for you,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “With us, he played a lot over the center and was very effective at that, but he also got on the edge and was able to get up field, too. The amount of times he put pressure on a quarterback and an offense was immense; he’s a very disruptive, attacking type of player who’s at his best when you cut him loose and let him go.”

Murphy’s motor will serve him well

Murphy did have the luxury of playing alongside Outland Trophy winner T’Vondre Sweat for the last couple of seasons — they were unquestionably the most dominant defensive tackle duo in the country in 2023, reminiscent of Longhorns forefathers Hampton and Shaun Rogers — but it’s a testament to Murphy's athleticism and strength that defensive line coach Bo Davis lined him up over center on most Saturdays.

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He finished with five sacks and 8½ tackles for loss, which were third-most on the team behind linebacker Jaylan Ford and defensive end Ethan Burke.

“I’m a good fit for this defense because my play style is very aggressive,” Murphy said. “I can stop the run and rush the passer, so I’m an all-three-downs type of player. That’s why I feel like I fit perfectly in their defense and in their scheme and everything.”

The Horns have sent some nice talent to the Pacific Northwest in recent years. Defensive tackle Poona Ford was an integral part of the interior line for the Seahawks during his five-year stay before he left for Buffalo.

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“Seattle got a great one,” Ford, now with the Los Angeles Chargers, posted on X shortly after the Seahawks' pick was announced.

Seattle’s Texas connection

Murphy is the sixth UT defensive lineman to go in the first round, breaking a nine-year drought. The last was Malcom Brown, who went to New England at No. 32 in 2015.

The Seahawks grabbed Murphy 20 years after they took Texas tackle Marcus Tubbs with the 23rd overall pick. Coincidentally, Tubbs and Murphy both attended DeSoto High School. Tubbs played four injury-plagued seasons before retiring and returning to Texas to work on the football support staff.

Murphy is the most high-profile Longhorn drafted by the Seahawks since 2010, when they tabbed Earl Thomas with the 14th pick. Thomas was a three-time first team All-Pro at safety and a starter for the franchise’s lone Super Bowl win. Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowler, was one of the linchpins of the famed Legion of Boom defense and has Hall of Fame credentials, despite some personal issues off the field near the end of his career and in retirement.

Of the Horns that Seattle has drafted, only Thomas and punter Michael Dickson have made the Pro Bowl.

Defensive tackles are getting paid

Murphy is entering the league at a time when defensive tackles are at their most valued. Of note, Kansas City just re-signed all-pro Chris Jones to a five-year, $158 million deal while free agent Christian Wilkins just inked a four-year, $110 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Coach Mike Macdonald is taking over for legendary Seattle coach Pete Carroll, and Murphy is getting a great teacher. Macdonald, a longtime Baltimore Ravens assistant who served as their defensive coordinator the last two seasons, tutored defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who just signed a four-year, $98 million extension with the team.

The money is obviously flowing even if the big guys don’t always get the big statistics. Their job is often about being disruptive to allow linebackers to make the plays, but Murphy has the type of athleticism that will make him a fan favorite and a nightmare for opposing linemen once he figures out the pro game.

Fat Mack just landed in a great situation.

The Longhorns' 11

Eleven Texas players were taken in this year's NFL draft:

First round — DT Byron Murphy II (16th overall, Seattle); WR Xavier Worthy (28th, Kansas City)

Second round — DT T'Vondre Sweat (38th, Tennessee); RB Jonathon Brooks (46th, Carolina), WR Adonai Mitchell (52nd, Indianapolis)

Fourth round — TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (101st, Carolina)

Fifth round — OT Christian Jones (162nd, Arizona); RB Keilan Robinson (167th, Jacksonville); LB Jaylan Ford (175th, New Orleans)

Sixth round — DB Ryan Watts (195th, Pittsburgh); WR Jordan Whittington (213th, Los Angeles Rams)

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Golden; Why Texas tackle Byron Murphy fills an immediate Seattle need