The Seahawks are only six games into the season, but Byron Murphy II is already forcing a bigger conversation.
Seattle has gotten strong individual production from several defenders. Leonard Williams has three sacks.
Ernest Jones IV has three sacks and an interception. Nehemiah Pritchett has two interceptions.
But Murphy has taken things to another level, and he may already be the team’s most valuable defender through the first quarter of the season.
His Week 5 performance against the San Francisco 49ers made that even clearer. Murphy finished with six tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks, and he became the first player to sack Brock Purdy this season.
The numbers across six games tell the same story. Murphy has 21 total tackles, including 10 assists and 11 solo stops, along with three sacks. He also has 19 total pressures, which ranks fifth among all NFL defensive tackles, and a 14.2% pressure rate, second among NFL defensive tackles.
If he is not in the early Pro Bowl mix, it’s fair to ask why. Murphy has already lived through a major snub, too. Last season, he finished first in fan voting among all NFC defensive tackles and put up seven sacks and 62 total tackles, yet still didn’t make the team.
Murphy said he felt disrespected by that omission, though the Super Bowl ring he received shortly after helped him settle down. With the way he’s playing now, a second straight Pro Bowl miss would be hard to explain.
What stands out most is how quickly Murphy is becoming one of the league’s top defensive linemen, and he’s doing it in just his third NFL season. He and Leonard have combined for five tackles for loss, the most by any Seahawks defensive duo among their defenders.
Leonard is his own kind of problem for offenses, but Murphy is climbing fast toward that same kind of veteran status. He set a goal of reaching double-digit sacks this season, and he is right on pace to get there.
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NFL Just Confirmed Seahawks Fans Had Every Right To Be Furious
Late in Seattles matchup with San Francisco, Jaxon Smith-Njigba took a hit from 49ers safety Malik Mustapha that never drew a flag on the field, even though it was later deemed a violation for hitting a defenseless player. The lack of a penalty at the time left Seahawks fans with plenty to gripe about, especially in a game where every late snap carried extra weight.
The NFLs review backed up that frustration, fining Mustapha $6,998 for the play and effectively confirming the missed call. No other players from the game were fined, but for Seattle supporters, the bigger point is hard to miss: the league looked at the same hit and came to the conclusion many in the building already had. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Backfield Picture Could Get More Interesting Than Fans Realize
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Seahawks Have A Pass Protection Problem Fans Cant Ignore
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It was not just one spot breaking down, either. Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas, Jalen Sundell, Grey Zabel, Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens all had their share of pressures allowed, while George Holani has also had trouble in pass protection. For a team trying to build any kind of offensive rhythm, the issue is no longer isolated enough to shrug off, and it is starting to shape every conversation about how the offense can function going forward. [Read more 🡒]