BM #91

Byron Murphy II

Defensive Tackle · Texas

A hometown-fan-turned-first-round pick who grew into a disruptive interior force and helped anchor Seattle's Super Bowl LX-winning defense.

Byron Murphy II grew up in the Dallas area idolizing Seattle's Legion of Boom defense, then became a first-round pick for the Seahawks himself in 2024. After a solid rookie season, he broke out in year two, posting career highs across the board as Seattle's defensive line carried the team to a championship.

★ Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year (2023, Texas)

★ First-round pick, 2024 NFL Draft (No. 16 overall)

★ Career-high 7.0 sacks in 2025

★ Super Bowl LX champion

Path to the league

Murphy played three seasons at Texas from 2021 to 2023, developing into a disruptive interior lineman. In his final college season he was named Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and earned second-team All-American honors from the AP and Sporting News. Seattle drafted him 16th overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Murphy appeared in 14 games with nine starts as a rookie in 2024, recording 36 tackles despite missing time with a hamstring injury. He quickly established himself as a core piece of Seattle's defensive front, showing the same disruptive traits that made him a top-16 pick out of Texas.

2025 season recap

Murphy started all 17 regular-season games in 2025 and set career highs with 62 tackles and 7.0 sacks. He carried that form into the playoffs, tallying nine tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery across three postseason games as the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX over New England.