NFL draft: ESPN's Kiper releases final rankings, Myles Murphy moves up projections |
The NFL draft gets underway in two days in Kansas City and final predictions are being made.
At ESPN, longtime draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his final rankings overall and by position ($). Myles Murphy leads the Tigers at No. 25, which is two spots below his last ranking there. "I wrote in September that I wanted to see his sack production rise before moving him up, and while he didn't have elite numbers, he did improve. He has a chance to go in the top 15 picks because teams always reach for edge rushers," Kiper said. The Green Bay Packers moving up two spots in the first round with the Aaron Rodgers trade to the New York Jets could affect that, as NFL.com analyst Eric Edholm has him going to Green Bay at No. 13. "I debated here between Lukas Van Ness and Murphy for longer than I care to admit. Both very much feel like Packers types. Van Ness would give them a little more versatility, but Murphy is almost exactly how Green Bay's scouts like their edges to be cut. The Clemson product would benefit from adding a changeup to his fastball approach," said Edholm. NFL.com colleague Bucky Brooks has Murphy going at the end of the top-10, to Philadelphia. "The Eagles do not mind investing in front-line personnel in the first round. Murphy adds another athletic pass rusher to a deep, talented rotation that wears opponents down over 60 minutes," Brooks said. Murphy is Kiper's No. 2-rated defensive end behind Texas Tech's Tyree Wilson. Kiper has the next two Tigers close together with Bryan Bresee ranked No. 33 overall and Trenton Simpson at No. 35. KJ Henry is in the next tier at No. 111. With the other position rankings, Simpson is the No. 1 inside linebacker, Bresee is the No. 4 DT, BT Potter is the No. 8 PK, Henry is the No. 11 DE, Jordan McFadden is the No. 11 OG, Davis Allen is the No. 12 TE and Joseph Ngata is the No. 53 WR, NFL.com's Edholm also has Bresee in his projections at No. 30 to Philadelphia. In Pro Football Focus' seven-round mock projection, Murphy is the predicted to join Trevor Lawrence and the gang in Jacksonville with the No. 24 pick and Bresee is slated to join Murphy in the first round with a No. 29 selection to New Orleans. "Myles Murphy has been somewhat of a faller in the draft process, and his evaluation seems to be all over the place. Still, he had a strong performance at his pro day and the value of a player some believe to be a top-10 prospect who plays the most valuable non-quarterback position is simply too good to pass on," said PFF. "The Saints need to upgrade their defensive line unit however possible, including via a potential trade-up. Here, a really good football player who has slid down boards a bit due to injuries provides upside that is too good to pass up." Simpson is projected in the third round to the New York Giants. "The Giants trade up to get arguably the best linebacker in the draft to pair with Bobby Okereke. Simpson brings exceptional athleticism and versatility, with career snap alignment rates of 26% from the slot, 46% from the box and 26% from the defensive line," said PFF. Henry is predicted as a Day 2 pick as well to Washington. "The Commanders' investment in the defensive line puts them in a tricky situation, with extensions looming for Montez Sweat and Chase Young after they already paid Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Henry provides some needed depth for 2023 and is a potential starting option down the road," said PFF. Allen is projected to be Carolina's first-ever Clemson selection at No. 132 overall in the fourth round. "Allen has some of the best ball skills in the draft class, catching 17 of his 20 contested targets across the past two seasons. He's just limited from a downfield perspective, evidenced by his 4.84-second 40-yard dash," said PFF. McFadden rounds out the selections at No. 176 overall to Indianapolis in the fifth round. NFL draft Thursday - 8 p.m. on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network Friday - 7 p.m. on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network Saturday - noon on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
