The Washington Redskins have a decision to make.
The draft class in front of them is strong and multi-faceted, with impact players at almost every position, waiting to earn their chance in the NFL. The Washington Redskins need this kind of player, but there’s one burning question standing in their way.
The Redskins are an interesting case. They’re not very far removed from playoff contention, yet the roster is average and could use an upgrade almost everywhere. At first glance, cornerback is toward the other side of the spectrum when it comes to need. Quinton Dunbar is a quality starter when healthy, as is Fabian Moreau, and Josh Norman, as lacking in value as he is, hasn’t yet been rendered a liability.
But a debate about need vs. value becomes irrelevant when needs are obscure and universal. With Norman aging, and with their depth fairly young, the Redskins could do well to add a talented player at cornerback, one of the most important positions in modern football. If they draft Washington’s Byron Murphy, they’ll align the “best player available” philosophy with need.
Scouting Murphy
When you look for a cornerback, generally, you want an able cover man. The priority with cornerbacks is defending the pass by taking away receiving options, and there’s perhaps no cornerback in the 2019 NFL Draft who does this better than Byron Murphy. Earlier in the season, I proclaimed Greedy Williams as the No. 1 cornerback in the draft. Murphy has since changed my opinion.
From 2017 to 2018, Murphy improved his knowledge of the game and his on-field awareness, and it showed on tape. From the albeit limited sample I watched, Murphy was absolutely dominant. In Washington’s conference championship matchup versus Utah, Murphy was targeted five times. He allowed no completions and logged two interceptions. In fact, over the course of a three-game sample from 2018, he did not allow a single completion.
So how does Murphy perform so well in coverage? It’s a culmination of things, but the root word that Murphy can be associated with is “quickness”. Murphy has outstanding lateral quickness, and incredibly loose hips. His ability to move his hips quickly allows him to avoid backpedaling in coverage, instead keeping his head around as he runs with a receiver.
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Often, cornerbacks can fall into a bad habit, where they backpedal at the start of the rep, only to fall behind when they finally flip their hips to follow their man. Murphy, however, flips his hips at the start of his reps, using his flexibility to shadow his receiver, and his hip quickness to flip when he needs to. This gives Murphy maximum mobility and recovery potential. It also makes it easier for Murphy to shift from man to man with ease, if he finds himself between two route stems.
Murphy’s physical quickness hones and collaborates with his mental quickness to create a surefire defensive weapon. Murphy’s footwork, in terms of pace and precision, is elite, and when he sees a receiver breaking in or out, his closing speed is lethal. He did have some minor trouble with comeback routes in the tape, but even there, he provides little leeway. Murphy is like a blanket in man coverage, making the most of the opportunities that come his way.
While we’re on the subject of opportunities, let’s talk about Murphy’s ball skills. In just two years as a starter for the Washington Huskies, Murphy logged six interceptions and 20 pass deflections. Murphy always knows where the ball is, and has the coordination and length to make a play on it whenever it comes his way.
There are some minor concerns with Murphy. At 6-foot-0, 175, he’s undersized for the NFL, and he can be easily controlled in run defense, and versus screens. In a three-game sample, teams frequently schemed screens to Murphy’s side of the field, as Murphy’s slender frame had trouble breaking free from blocks. Don’t let Murphy’s size fool you, however. While it gets the best of him occasionally, it doesn’t take away from his willingness to tackle. He can straight-up lay the wood.
Murphy checks plenty of boxes as a future starting NFL cornerback, but the most important one is easily his ability to move. It sounds simple, but being able to move effortlessly, and turn one’s hips at a moment’s notice, without sacrificing space, is an invaluable trait in the NFL. And Murphy has it. His movement is incredibly fluid and abrupt. If he can even add ten pounds, he’ll be a nightmare for opposing receivers for years to come. His floor? Solid starter. Ceiling? Perennial All-Pro.
Tape Watched:
Byron Murphy vs. Arizona State (2018)
Byron Murphy vs. Utah – PAC 12 Conference Championship (2018)
Byron Murphy vs. Utah – Regular Season (2018)
Other Resources Used:
2019 NFL Draft Player Profile: Byron Murphy – The Draft Network
How Murphy fits with the Redskins
Byron Murphy’s skill set allows for him to fit a number of schemes, and the Redskins scheme is no different. Murphy has the closing speed to strengthen any zone concepts the Redskins run, but his bread and butter is man coverage, where he’s shown flashes of downright dominance.
Former Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger complained about Washington’s frequent use of man coverage in unsavory situations after the team’s loss to the Ttians. He expressed a desire for Greg Manusky to mold his scheme to his players, but with Byron Murphy, that wouldn’t necessarily be a requirement. Because Byron Murphy can do anything you ask him to.
With the Redskins, Murphy could be a starter on the outside or in the slot. He played primarily on the boundary in college, and as you saw in the last slide, he excelled there. But his quickness could be a magnificent trait for him to carry into the slot, where the NFL’s top receivers find themselves lining up more and more, in order to create separation and exploit favorable matchups.
If they draft Murphy, the Redskins would have a bit of a logjam at cornerback, with Norman, Dunbar, Moreau, Murphy, and possibly Stroman all fighting for snaps. But Murphy could ultimately be the best of the bunch very soon out of the gate, and so keeping him off the field would be detrimental.
An unorthodox, but perhaps beneficial option? Cut Josh Norman after June 5, roll out Dunbar and Moreau on the boundaries, and put Murphy in the slot, or swap him and Moreau. An option the Redskins would be more likely to take? Keep the previous starting lineup, and rotate Murphy in as a premier reserve with versatility. Either way, Murphy would fit the Redskins well. After all, he fits the NFL well.
Should the Redskins draft Murphy?
Drafting Byron Murphy isn’t a problem, from a talent standpoint. He’ll be one of the best players available if he’s still on the board. The problem is passing up greater needs; although the Redskins should prioritize talent over need, they’re in a draft position where several prospects of equal outstanding talent could be available.
What if the Redskins had to choose between Byron Murphy and Cody Ford? Or Byron Murphy and D.K. Metcalf? Byron Murphy and Brian Burns? In all three scenarios, you can’t necessarily say one is better than the other; they’re all top-tier talents in the NFL Draft, and almost nothing, in terms of talent, would be sacrificed by picking one over the other. When the players in consideration are relatively equal, in terms of the impact they may provide, the question becomes this: What matters most?
You could make a compelling case to draft a cornerback early. Josh Norman only has so much time left as a starter. While Quinton Dunbar is very good, his nerve issue could end up complicating things. In the modern NFL, where passing drives success, it’s important to have cornerbacks who can stick to their man with plus mobility, and anticipate throws with accuracy. It’s important to have cornerbacks who can disrupt an offense. With his athletic traits and his mental acuity, Murphy is that cornerback.
If the Redskins draft Murphy, in time, he’d become the team’s premier cornerback, possibly headlining a starting trio of Murphy, Quinton Dunbar, and Fabian Moreau. The question is simply this: Are you willing to pass on direly-needed offensive talent, or elite edge rushing talent, to make this pick?
Depending on how the draft shakes out before No. 15, the Redskins decision could be made much easier. If Byron Murphy is one of the top prospects who slips through the cracks, he will be very hard to pass on. If drafted, he’d be an impact player right away.