OVERVIEW
Murphy played like a solid right tackle prospect as a second-team All-Pac-12 pick his junior year, his first full year as a starter. In 2015, however, the brother of former Harvard and Minnesota Vikings tackle Kevin Murphy slid to left tackle and improved greatly in pass protection while maintaining his toughness in the run game. He combined with left guard Joshua Garnett as first-team All-Conference picks on the blind side of quarterback Kevin Hogan, who reaped the benefits of their play.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Has good feel for the position. Very aware in pass protection seeking out blitzes and twists and takes consistent angles up to the linebackers in the running game. Once he gets moving in space, is able to open up his hips and run with a relatively athletic gait. Plays with strong hands and good placement that can snatch and latch if he gets there first. Makes low pad level a priority in run game. Is usually low man and will use good leg drive or snap hips to secure the block. Adequate change direction in space. Patient second level blocker allowing the block to come to him. Outstanding work with teammate Joshua Garnett with combo blocks and double teams. Doesnt lean in pass protection and can gain decent ground with his kick slides.WEAKNESSES
Feet are just average from a quickness standpoint. While he can be a little slow out of his stance and off to the races when moving laterally. Will get antsy pre-snap. Tape shows him getting some headstarts that werent called by college officials. Troubling anchor issues as pass blocker. Will get stiff legged at impact in protection, raising pad level and losing anchor leverage. Needs to play more flat-footed when shooting his punch. Speed to power rushers give him problems so may need to make inside hand placement a greater priority.DRAFT PROJECTION
Rounds 5 or 6SOURCES TELL US
"I don't think you can play him for at least a year until he gets stronger. He's a good run blocker but I don't know if he's strong enough to play on the right side or quick enough to play left." -- AFC general managerNFL COMPARISON
Ty SambrailoBOTTOM LINE
Interesting prospect full of juxtapositions. On one hand, hes an athletic mover in space, but his foot quickness is just average. While he plays with good bend, leg drive and low pad level as a run blocker, he tends to play too tall and lose his anchor against bull rushers. Murphy plays with good tackle instincts and shows enough potential to become an eventual starter in the NFL if he can improve his overall strength and tighten up some of his pass protection flaws.PLAYER OVERVIEW
While Heisman finalist Christian McCaffrey and senior quarterback Kevin Hogan may have earned most of the attention for the Cardinal, scouts recognize that Stanford's productive offense begins up front, with Murphy a star in his own right.
Murphy is simply the latest in a long line of Stanford offensive linemen with bright NFL futures. He leaves with appearances in 54 games over his career, earning second team All-Pac-12 honors at right tackle as a junior and first team accolades at left tackle as a senior.
Despite the impressive track record Murphy opted to compete at the Senior Bowl, switching back to the right side. The switch back - and Murphy's lack of elite athleticism - left him struggling a bit during one-on-ones but ultimately faring better during the more important scrimmages and game, itself.
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS: Murphy sports a prototypical build for an NFL tackle with broad shoulders, long arms and a relatively trim middle. He anticipates the snap, rather than waiting for it, often getting a slight advantage over defenders (but also risking a false-start penalty) and overall showing impressive initial quickness, including on cut-blocks.Murphy's quick start and length make him a formidable opponent in pass protection. He slides well laterally and is alert to stunts and blitzes, getting a strong shove on one defender before switching off to another. While quick enough to get to the second level as a run blocker, Murphy can get off-balance when attempting to change direction.
He is very effective, on the other hand, as a drive blocker, showing surprising flexibility to get under the pads of opponents and impressive leg drive to consistently move the pile.
Good bloodlines. His brother, Kevin, was a standout tackle at Harvard who spent time with the Minnesota Vikings.
WEAKNESSES: While possessing good initial quickness, Murphy isn't an elite athlete and will almost certainly be asked to move back to right tackle or perhaps even inside to guard.
He's quick enough for traps but once defenders cross his face, Murphy lacks recovery speed and the flexibility to change directions quickly, resorting to reaching out and latching onto defenders.
Has a bad habit of relying on his length and strength to control opponents, failing to keep his feet sliding on contact. Too often this occurs when he's run blocking at the second level, where he shows impressive burst to get there initially only to watch linebackers slip by him.
IN OUR VIEW: There is a lot to like about Murphy's game as he's quick, powerful, durable and tough. With some of Stanford's past standouts struggling to duplicate their success in the NFL, there is reason to be cautious about Murphy, however, especially given that his best season - 2015 - came with the Outland Trophy winning Joshua Garnett flanking him at left guard, a mobile senior quarterback in Kevin Hogan and Heisman finalist Christian McCaffrey making everyone at Stanford look good.
--Rob Rang (@RobRang) (2/6/16)
