Seahawks land Byron Murphy II at No. 16

The Seattle Seahawks selected Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, No. 16 overall.

Murphy was only the second defensive player taken in Thursday's first round after the Indianapolis Colts ended the run on offensive players by taking pass-rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 15.

The 21-year-old had five sacks last season and led the country in pressure rate among defensive tackles.

Murphy gives new head coach Mike Macdonald a key piece to build his defense around, and will pair with Leonard Williams to give Seattle an intimidating interior duo.

Pre-draft profile

Murphy doesn't have the ideal frame or length for an interior defensive line prospect. Those limitations could impact his ability to anchor as a run defender, but that's about where the concerns end. Everything else about the Texas standout's game screams Pro Bowl potential. He's an impressive athlete, using an explosive first step to get up field and demonstrating the kind of lateral quickness that's tough for opposing linemen to match. Murphy is also much stronger than you might expect for a player of his size. Most importantly, he makes the jump to the NFL with a solid pass-rush arsenal and the counter moves to keep reps alive. A limitless motor helps in that department, too. Murphy should be a high-end pass-rusher from the three-technique spot.