If you only looked at the box score after a Seattle Seahawks game in 2024, you probably thought Byron Murphy II was just... there. A quiet first-round pick. A guy who didn't quite have that "it" factor that usually comes with being the 16th overall selection.
Honestly? You'd be wrong.
Numbers in football are weird. A quarterback throws for 400 yards in a loss and he’s a hero; a defensive tackle eats three double-teams so his linebacker can teleport into the backfield, and he gets zero credit in the morning paper. Byron Murphy II stats are the perfect example of this "invisible impact." By the time the 2025 season rolled around, the "invisible" stuff became very, very visible. He didn't just step up; he basically exploded onto the scene as one of the most disruptive interior forces in the NFC.
The Rookie Wall and the 2024 Reality Check
Let’s talk about that rookie year. It wasn't flashy. People wanted 10 sacks and highlight-reel forced fumbles. Instead, they got a guy who spent half his time fighting two 300-pound men at once.
In 2024, Murphy appeared in 14 games. He started nine of them. His stat line looked like this: 36 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a measly 0.5 sacks. On paper, that's a "bust" conversation waiting to happen on sports talk radio. But if you talk to the coaches in Seattle, they'll tell you he was a "force multiplier."
The Seahawks played him out of position a lot. Because of injuries and depth issues, Murphy was often lined up as a nose tackle—head-up on the center. Imagine being 6'0" and 300 pounds (which is small for a nose) and trying to hold back 650 pounds of offensive line meat every snap. He did it. He finished his rookie year with 21 pressures, which was third among all rookie defensive tackles. He also led all rookies at his position in pass-rush win rate at 10%.
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He was winning. The ball just wasn't staying in the pocket long enough for him to get the "stat."
The 2025 Breakout: When the Stats Caught Up
Everything changed in 2025. Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks' defensive mastermind, finally got to use Murphy the way he was meant to be used—as a 3-technique. This basically means he lined up on the outside shoulder of the guard, giving him a clearer path to the quarterback.
The results were sort of terrifying for opposing guards.
- Total Tackles: 62 (a massive jump from 36)
- Solo Tackles: 21
- Sacks: 7.0 (He went from 0.5 to 7.0 in one year!)
- QB Pressures: 50 (ranked 9th among all interior defenders)
- Tackles for Loss: 7
Look at Week 2 against the Steelers. He racked up 1.5 sacks and five tackles. Later in the season against the Jaguars, he had two sacks in a single afternoon. This wasn't just luck; it was a pure athletic mismatch. When you have a guy who can bench 225 pounds for 28 reps and also has a 33-inch vertical jump, offensive guards eventually just run out of ways to stop him.
Advanced Metrics: The PFF Truth
Pro Football Focus (PFF) loves Byron Murphy II. While casual fans look at sacks, scouts look at "win rate" and "grade." In 2025, Murphy finished with an overall defensive grade of 72.4. That put him 25th out of 134 qualified interior defenders. Even more impressive? His pass-rush grade was a 76.6, ranking him 13th in the entire league at his position.
He’s not just a "good rookie" anymore. He's a top-tier NFL starter.
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Texas Longhorns: Where the Legend Started
Before the Seahawks, Murphy was making life miserable for Big 12 quarterbacks. People forget how dominant he was at Texas. In 2023, he was the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year. He wasn't even the biggest guy on his own line—that was T’Vondre Sweat—but Murphy was the engine.
During his final year in Austin, he put up:
- 29 tackles
- 8.5 tackles for loss
- 5.0 sacks
And here is the coolest part of his college stats: He had two offensive touchdowns. He’s so athletic that Steve Sarkisian used him as a goal-line fullback and tight end. He caught a touchdown against Wyoming and ran one in later that year. How many 300-pounders do you know with a receiving TD on their resume?
Why "Size" Was a Lie
Coming out of the draft, the biggest knock on Murphy was his height. He's roughly 6'0". People said he was too short. They said he’d get "washed out" in the run game.
That hasn't happened. In fact, his height is his superpower. It’s called "leverage." Because he’s shorter than the guys blocking him, he can get his hands under their pads and lift. It’s basic physics. If you get under a guy, you win. Murphy wins a lot.
Moving Forward: What to Expect Next
If you're tracking Byron Murphy II stats for fantasy football (IDP leagues) or just to win an argument at the bar, keep an eye on his "pressure-to-sack" conversion rate. In 2024, he had high pressures but no sacks. In 2025, those pressures started turning into hits and sacks.
As he enters 2026, he’s no longer the "young guy" on the line. He's the anchor. With Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed alongside him, Murphy is going to see even more one-on-one matchups. If he stays healthy, a 10-sack season from the interior isn't just possible—it's expected.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Analysts
- Ignore the Tackle Count: Defensive tackles rarely lead the team in tackles. Look at "Run Stuffs" and "Pressures" instead.
- Watch the Alignment: When Murphy is at 3-tech, expect a pass rush. When he's at 0-tech (nose), expect him to eat blocks so others can shine.
- Draft Him Early in IDP: If you're in a dynasty league, his 2025 jump proves he’s a long-term elite asset.
The box score is finally starting to tell the story that the film has known for years: Byron Murphy II is a problem for the rest of the NFL. Stop waiting for him to "arrive." He's already here.