Don’t be surprised if Les Snead targets this defensive lineman in the first round

Les Snead could fall in love with Byron Murphy given his similarities to Grady Jarrett

The Los Angeles Rams will be looking to fill the massive void left by Aaron Donald following the star defensive lineman’s retirement. While that is easier said than done, the Rams will have a few options to choose from in the NFL Draft. One of those players is Texas’ Byron Murphy.

Murphy has been a popular first-round selection for the Rams in mock drafting since Donald’s retirement. In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. slotted Murphy to the Rams. Said Kiper,

“I didn’t have defensive tackle on my list of needs for the Rams ahead of free agency, but that all changed Friday…Murphy is the best interior pass-rusher in this class, and at 6-foot-1, 297 pounds, he has a similar build to Donald. I’m not saying he will became a perennially All-Pro, but he has intriguing tools at the position. He had five sacks and created 33 pressures last season. This match makes a lot of sense. The Rams haven’t picked in Round 1 since 2016, so we can never rule out a trade down, either.”

If the Rams were to select Murphy, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Not only do the Rams all of a sudden have a big need on the defensive line, Murphy has the explosiveness and get-off that the Rams like in their defensive linemen.

While Kiper notes that Murphy has a similar build to Donald, he may actually remind general manager Les Snead of another defensive lineman that he regretted passing on back in 2015. That player is Grady Jarrett. As noted by NBC Sports’ Peter King last April, Jarrett is someone that Snead regretted not taking earlier in that draft.

“In the 2015 draft, Snead was a young GM and had a defensive tackle, Grady Jarrett, graded higher than the league consensus. Snead waited and waited—and lost Jarrett to the Falcons in the fifth round. Turner reminded Snead of Jarrett. And before this draft, Snead told club president Kevin Demoff: “Make sure you remind me not to pass on Grady Jarrett again.”

What’s interesting here is that, athletically, Murphy compares well to Jarrett. Mockdraftable has Jarrett as a 73.4 percent match to Jarrett. While Jarrett doesn’t show in Murphy’s RAS comps, they do compare very well with each other. Both players had the same 10-yard split at the Combine as well as very similar vertical and broad jump scores.

Additionally, they also both have similar playing styles. Murphy has gotten some player comparisons to Jarrett. Matt Holder of Bleacher Report’s scouting team compared Murphy to Jarrett saying,

“Murphy’s get-off and overall quickness are what pops off the tape at first, especially for his size. The 308-pounder either gets into offensive linemen shortly after the snap or uses his impressive agility and quickness to beat guards across their faces when slanting. He also has good pad level and tree trunks for legs that make him hard to move.”

The Rams may not end up taking Murphy at 19, but the athletic comparison and stylistic comparison to Grady Jarrett make him an intriguing option. That’s especially the case considering Snead’s history with Jarrett and that style of player being something that Snead has been attracted to in the past.

Given other needs on the roster, it wouldn’t be surprising if Los Angeles went in a different direction and addressed defensive line later in the draft. However, Murphy’s similarity to Jarrett and potential fit for the Rams is certainly worth noting.