The Seahawks must be really happy that Byron Murphy, the defensive tackle, was available for them to pick at No. 16 in the draft. And if Murphy is upset that he wasn’t chosen sooner, that might be even better.
Murphy, who has signed his rookie contract, is now taking part in the team’s rookie minicamp. Coach Mike Macdonald shared his first impression of this potentially very good defender.
“It’s hard to fully evaluate at this stage because of the pace, but, it’s a good start,” Macdonald told reporters. “We’re not going to declare him the best defensive tackle ever right now, but we’re excited about him. He shows good flexibility, strength, and acceleration.
He just needs to improve his fitness a bit, so he can last through a whole practice and move around like we expect him to. But he knows, like the other guys, how tough it is to stay in top shape with the way the schedule is set up. He’ll get there, and we’ll push him in the meantime.”
It’s always tough to balance what’s expected with what’s realistic, considering the players train for the Scouting Combine and then travel a lot before the draft.
Regardless, the Seahawks will probably bring Murphy along at the right pace, and they’ll likely see benefits from it, sooner rather than later.
