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# Progression of Byron Murphy Elevating Seahawks’ Defensive Line to Next Level
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/progression-byron-murphy-seattle-seahawks-defensive-line-next-level/
- Published: 2025-10-20T01:21:57.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:57:36.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Byron Murphy II

In the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks decided to beef up their defensive line with the selection of Byron Murphy II, adding another formidable force to a defensive line that was already filled with talent such as Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed.

Now with 20 regular season games under his belt, how has Murphy progressed thus far?

### A Slow Start

Transitioning to the next level proves to be difficult for the vast majority of rookies and it certainly wasn’t any different for Murphy coming out of Texas. While appearing in 14 games and nine starts, he recorded 36 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, and 0.5 sacks. His run stopping ability was impressive as a rookie, evidenced by the fact Seattle allowed over 170 rushing yards per game in the three games he missed due to injury, and he did rank in the top 10 among defensive tackles in Pass Rush Win Rate, but his lack of pass rushing production in the sacks and quarterback hits department served as a central concern.

After his rookie season, Murphy II made a goal this offseason to work on his pass rush moves and approach working off blocks, preparing to play more snaps as a 3-tech defensive tackle after spending extensive time shading the center and A gaps as a nose tackle in 2024\. This switch to more 3-tech reps in coach Mike Macdonald’s scheme set the stage for a breakout sophomore season.

### A Second Year Leap

For a lot of NFL defensive linemen, the second year is usually when they start to put all the fundamentals and details together on the field and so far, this has been the case for Murphy II. Through just six games, he already has 23 combined tackles, nine quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss. These numbers are even more impressive when you realize that if he keeps up this same pace for the rest of the season, he will finish with close to 65 combined tackles, 26 quarterback hits, 13 sacks, and nine tackles for loss, which would put him in the All-Pro discussion. He also ranks ninth in Pass Rush Win Rate (14.4 percent), almost a full five percent higher than his rookie year.

Meanwhile, Murphy has continued to be a rock in the middle for one of the best run defenses in the NFL. He currently ranks in the top 10 among defensive tackles in run stops (nine) and run stop rate (9.9 percent) according to PFF charting, anchoring a front line that has helped the Seahawks give up just 473 rushing yards and 3.3 yards per carry to opponents, ranking in the top three in the league in both categories.

### Best Yet to Come

There’s no question Murphy has taken a massive step forward in his sophomore season for Seattle, transforming a high pressure rate from last year into tangible pass rushing production. To put his production into perspective, on his own team, he has more sacks than Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, and Demarcus Lawrence combined. Compared to the rest of the league, he currently sits in a tie with Titans star Jeffery Simmons for the most sacks by a defensive tackle this season, ahead of the likes of perennial All-Pros such as Chris Jones and Cameron Heyward.

At the same time, there’s still area for growth from the 23-year-old Murphy. He has 14 hurries so far this year out of 22 pressures, which could be improved with a few more quarterback hits to finish off those rushes. Run defense always remains a spot for improvement as well with the opportunity to make a few more plays at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield. Nonetheless, with Williams and Reed continuing to play at a high level, his emergence living up to his prior first round billing has helped take the Seahawks to another level on defense and a star turn creates an even tougher draw for opposing offensive lines.