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Byron Murphy’s Weirdest Pre-Draft Moment Came with Steelers

Originally posted on Steelers Now | By Chris Ward | Last updated 5/2/24

Every year following the draft players reveal odd things that teams ask or make them do during the pre-draft process. The NFL has cracked down on some of the absurd questions that teams ask, but some of the workouts to check for medical issues or athleticism deficiencies are still pretty bizarre.

Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy, who was selected by the Seattle Seahawks at 16th overall, disclosed in a conversation with Brian Nemhauser on the Real Hawk Talk by Hawk Blogger Podcast that the Pittsburgh Steelers made him face a wall and do unorthodox squats.

“The weirdest thing I did, I was meeting with Pittsburgh. They made me face a wall. Made me do something with my hands and squat all the way down. And then made me do it again. I guess they were just trying to see how flexible [I] was. But I’m like, ‘Man, what is this?'”

The Steelers were making my DT pop, lock, and drop it on his combine visit pic.twitter.com/zsJ63FKI3T

— ᴅᴏxx (@new_era72) May 1, 2024

What the Steelers asked Murphy to do is not as offbeat as compared to what other teams have done. But I guess it’s still pretty weird when being asked to face the wall and squat. As Murphy alluded to, the Steelers were checking to see how flexible he was.

The Steelers met with Murphy at the NFL Combine, but their interest pretty much cooled down after that.

Murphy is a 6-foot-1, 308-pound defensive lineman who is thought of by many as either the best defensive lineman in the class or one of the best. He brings an explosive first step and significant pass rush upside despite questions about his schematic versatility up front and his size. He should be a plug-and-play starter in Seattle.

Longtime reporter and draft analyst Bob McGinn said one anonymous scout told him that Murphy is Casey Hampton 2.0.

“I like Byron [Murphy’s] tape better than Ed Oliver’s,” McGinn wrote in regards to what the scout told him. “He can play 3-[technique] or nose. As good a motor as you’ll see on an interior player…He’s going to be like Casey Hampton. I don’t know if he’s as strong as Casey Hampton, but he sure looks like it. Hampton was a nose tackle, but he had movement skills, too. This kid has unbelievable movement skills.”

This article first appeared on Steelers Now and was syndicated with permission.

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