The Bengals Are Counting On A Sophomore Jump From Myles Murphy
Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
As Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson advance in age, the Bengals are counting on their first-round pick from 2023 to make a big leap into being worth his draft stock.
Myles Murphy days away from NFL football! pic.twitter.com/UrliKfT6Go
— kinsey (@TigressTakes) May 29, 2024
The Bengals took Murphy 28th overall, due in large part to his elite athleticism and accolades at Clemson. He was a Second Team All-ACC in 2021 and First Team All-ACC in 2022. Zac Taylor was high on Murphy’s ability both on and off the field. “He’s played three effective years there at Clemson (and) done a great job for them academically and on the field,” Taylor said after the draft. “He seems very mature from our experiences with him. He’ll fit right in. But again, he’s still 21 years old and there’s still some development to be had, and that’s exciting”
However, Murphy was a limited contributor in his rookie season with Cincinnati. In 304 total defensive snaps, he had 17 tackles, with just 10 being solo. Many were quick to place the bust label on him; particularly Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, who called him the fourth-worst first-round pick of 2023 back in November.
“He has not been an impact player,” Edwards wrote. “But he has been solid all-around. Murphy still needs to develop more of a rush plan at this level, specifically when his initial rush is stopped.”
That’s not to say Murphy was bad in his rookie season. He totaled three sacks and showed flashes of the player he could become when making those highlight-reel plays.
Myles Murphy runs the arc! pic.twitter.com/SO7Trb9jK1
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) December 16, 2023
Murphy believes that preparing for the draft may have ultimately hurt his preparation for actually playing in his rookie year. “There’s a difference between combine condition and football condition,” he said. “I was in great combine condition last year, but not in good football condition. Now I’m in really good football condition.”
The Bengals spent a lot of time beefing up their defensive line this offseason, particularly at defensive tackle. They signed 3-tech defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins from Houston in free agency, then spent two Day 2 draft selections on run stoppers Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson. The acquisitions of those interior players were critical after the Bengals lost DJ Reader in free agency. In a division where games are won and lost in the trenches, the ability to stop the run is imperative.
On the edge of the line, Trey Hendrickson requested a trade from the Bengals, citing his desire for long-term financial security. Despite this, Hendrickson has every intention of playing in Cincinnati in 2024. “That’s a no-brainer,” Hendrickson said. “I love this team, I’m in great shape. It’s good to see the guys, we’ve got great draft picks in the building. So, yeah. No-brainer.”
Even if the star DE is expected to suit up for Cincinnati in 2024, a jump from Murphy in his second season in the league would provide the Bengals with a long-term starter should Hendrickson, who accounted for nearly 40% of the Bengals’ sacks in 2023, leave the team after this season. Hendrickson and fellow edge rusher Sam Hubbard are both under contract through the 2025 season.
Murphy’s inability to immediately contribute in his rookie year wasn’t entirely his fault, as he was behind Hendrickson and Hubbard on the depth chart. Even with his role as a backup, Murphy embraced his opportunity to learn from the veterans. “One thing I picked up from the veteran D-linemen is (that) investing in your body is not a bad thing,” he said. “Nothing’s cheap. All the stuff that I had at Clemson and didn’t use last year, I think those are things that can be beneficial to me.”
From the looks of it, it appears that Murphy has taken their advice.
Joseph Ossai looks like a linebacker standing next to Myles Murphy. Someone packed on some muscle 👀 https://t.co/gKXCYUsoYX pic.twitter.com/fOIuUwqlyT
— 🐅 (@stripe_city) May 13, 2024
An emergence from Murphy would give the Bengals significantly more breathing room when it comes to their defensive ends. It’d give insurance to the Bengals should the production from Hendrickson and Hubbard decline and give them multiple avenues to attacking the league’s top quarterbacks. Luckily for Cincinnati, Murphy still has plenty of room to grow and become a major part of the future of the Bengals’ defensive line. Now that he’s had a full offseason to get into “football shape,” we should be able to see Murphy deliver on his potential and make an impact this year.
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