The Los Angeles Rams lost the best defensive player in franchise history last week when superstar defensive lineman Aaron Donald announced his surprise retirement.
With a sudden gaping hole at defensive tackle, the Rams must race for a remedy.
Obviously, the odds of drafting the next Aaron Donald are extremely long and unrealistic, but one player with a first-round grade may have a chance – at least in terms of playstyle and motor.
We’re talking about Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who RamDigest.com identified as a potential draft target for Los Angeles on the day Donald retired.
ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has caught on to the pattern, assigning Murphy to the Rams at No. 19 in the most recent version of his mock draft.
“I didn’t put defensive tackle on my list of Rams needs heading into free agency, but that changed on Friday. Aaron Donald announced his retirement, and the eventual Hall of Famer leaves a massive void,” Kiper remarked. “Murphy is the finest inside pass-rusher in this class, and at 6-foot-1, 297 pounds, he’s built similarly to Donald. I’m not suggesting he’ll be a perpetual All-Pro, but he has some intriguing tools for the position. Last season, he recorded five sacks and created 33 pressures.
This pairing makes a lot of sense. Murphy, together with T’Vondre Sweat, formed one-half of the country’s most dominant defensive tackle duo and top-ranked rushing defenses, and has previously been compared to Donald in terms of skill set, motor, and ferocity. No, Murphy isn’t Donald. Nobody is. But he could bring the attributes that the Rams are seeking for in a replacement, as well as fit into their defensive strategy.
“He’s built like a pit bull, man,” Murphy’s college head coach, Steve Sarkisian, explained. “He is strong. He has incredibly strong shoulders. He’s incredibly fast and powerful. He has a very high football IQ and plays hard. Those are all excellent criteria for a defensive lineman, especially given his stature.” Of course, the crux of the matter is that Murphy could be gone before the Rams’ No. 19 choice next month. However, if Kiper’s estimates come true, they may be in luck.
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