David Levine
Posts: 77901
Joined: 7/14/2007
From: Las Vegas
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DavidAOlson quote:
ORIGINAL: kwheats EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings on Saturday followed the 2024 NFL Draft by agreeing to terms with the following 17 undrafted free agents (listed alphabetically by last name): ... Three of them were in the top 300 of the consensus board: #295 Trey Knox, TE, South Carolina, the 15th TE, around #60 UDFA #189 Dwight McGlothern, CB, Arkansas, the 22nd CB, #8 UDFA #111 Gabriel Murphy, OLB, UCLA 12 Edge, #1 UDFA Last year Pace was very high on the UDFA list. I thought he was the equivalent of bonus 4th round pick. Andre Carter II was also very high. Think of Murphy as a bonus 4th round pick. And McGlothern is a bonus 6th rounder. Very likely to make the roster or practice squad. Gabriel Murphy, EDGE, UCLA Size: Height: 6’2” Weight: 247 pounds Arm Length: 30 1/2" Hand Size: 9 1/4" Accomplishments: All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention (2023) “Gabriel Murphy is a polished edge rusher with plus athleticism and versatility for creative defensive coordinators.” Strengths: Dip, rip, and bend around corners Polished hand fighter Quickness and suddenness Strong first step Pass-rush alignment versatility Concerns: Short arms and wingspan Block shedding Speed-to-power conversion Maintaining outside leverage vs. run Film Analysis: The polished hand usage of Gabriel Murphy stood out immediately after turning on the tape. He has quick hands for well-timed punches. Murphy combines multiple pass-rush maneuvers to defeat his blocker. He deploys an effective club, cross-chops, two-hand swipe, and long-arm over technique. I was impressed with how he uses the blend of hand fighting, dip, and bend to corner tackles and get in the backfield quickly. A good first step impacts the OT’s gate (hips) opening. As a result, this creates a natural counter path on the inside track to get into the face of the QB quicker. Murphy does a good job reducing hitting surface area to slip the hands of blockers. Murphy aligns all over the Bruins’ defense. He has taken snaps at edge, 0-tech, 3/4-techs, and off-ball backer. His athletic ability makes him a potential QB spy candidate against the talented dual-threat and scrambling QBs in the NFL. This alignment versatility will fit well with creative defensive coordinators who prioritize various fronts to confuse the OL and QB. Murphy’s drawbacks start with his limited arm length and wingspan. He counters this issue with immense quickness with his maneuvers, but once OL gets latched or their punches land first, it’s an uphill battle for him. He is adequate at best shedding blocks. His functional strength is only sufficient and it leads to struggles versus power at the point of attack. Murphy tends to take the inside path when handling run duties aligned on the outside. He must show improvement with striking, stacking, and controlling outside leverage. This allows him to be a full-time three-down player at the next level, instead of a role-specific one. In all, Murphy is a juiced-up and polished pass rusher, who projects as an eventual starter as a 3-4/odd front edge rusher. His quickness, hand-fighting skills, and pressure effectiveness make him a solid starter at the next level. Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter Written By: Damian Parson Exposures: USC (2023), UCLA (2023), Oregon State (2023), Colorado (2023), Washington State (2023) https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2024/03/15/gabriel-murphy-scouting-report-nfl-draft-2024
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