Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay released their final mock drafts ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, which kicks off at 8 p.m. tonight in Kansas City with the first round.
Both of the longtime ESPN draft analysts project only one former Tiger to be taken in the opening round — defensive end Myles Murphy.
Kiper sees Murphy going to the Seattle Seahawks with the 20th overall pick.
“Murphy is a complete edge defender who can hold up against the run,” Kiper wrote. “With Seattle taking (Georgia defensive tackle Jalen) Carter at No. 5, this means coach Pete Carroll has replenished his D-line.”
McShay, meanwhile, predicts Murphy to come off the board nine picks later and land with the New Orleans Saints as the No. 29 overall selection.
“The Saints were last in pass rush win rate in 2022 (28.5%) and lost Marcus Davenport in free agency,” McShay wrote. “Cameron Jordan had 8.5 sacks last season, but he’s turning 34 years old in July. So it’s definitely time to restock the pass rush. Murphy is a big, long force off the edge who wins with his great take-off quickness.”
A blue-chip recruit coming out of the Atlanta area in 2020, Murphy started 27 of the 38 games he played in three seasons for the Tigers. He led Clemson in sacks each of the past two seasons and finished his career with 17.5 sacks and 139 tackles, including 37 for loss.
An injury prevented Murphy from working out at the NFL Scouting Combine and Clemson’s Pro Day in March, but he impressed during a private pro day workout ealier this month, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash – an outstanding time at his 6-foot-5, 268-pound size.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney weighed in on what an NFL team will be getting in Murphy, with Swinney saying that from an athleticism standpoint, Murphy rivals any edge defender that has come through the Tigers’ program during Swinney’s 15-year tenure as head coach.
“Myles is, athletically, probably as gifted as anybody we’ve ever had come through Clemson at his position with his combination of length, size, speed and strength,” Swinney said. “He’s an incredibly smart kid, but he’s still just hasn’t reached his potential. He’s got a lot of great football in front of him, and he loves it.”
Dear Old Clemson has added the Tiger Sack Pack to our online store. Save by getting the Two Pack of signed cards from two of the nation’s top defensive ends, Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas.
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