The Bengals could be lucky to add Byron Murphy at No. 18 according to one draft expert.
The Cincinnati Bengals are looking down the barrel of the 2024 NFL Draft, and one position of need, especially after losing DJ Reader in free agency, is defensive tackle.
With the depth at the offensive tackle position in this year’s draft class, it’s very possible the team could get a starting-caliber tackle on Day 2 and focus on another position of need.
Two names come to mind with the Bengals and defensive tackle when it comes to the draft, and those are Byron Murphy II out of Texas and Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton out of Illinois.
However, according to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Murphy could be a surprise top-10 pick.
Daniel Jeremiah “If you asked me today, who is a surprise top 10 pick? Like who is the 8th pick in the draft that we didn’t see coming? It is Byron Murphy. That is a name that is being called a lot around the league. I wouldn’t sleep on him going much higher than we all think.”
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) April 18, 2024
If the Bengals think they can sit on their hands and hope the best defensive tackle in this year’s draft class falls into their lap in the second half of the first round, they may have to think again.
The team did address the position by bringing in free agent interior pass rusher Sheldon Rankins, but losing Reader leaves the defensive interior, including both linebackers, susceptible to powerful run-blocking interior linemen.
While Rankins is an upgrade as a pass rusher, he and BJ Hill are the only two defensive tackles on the team with any real experience outside Jay Tufele, a role player and a free agent after the upcoming season.
By selecting Murphy, the Bengals wouldn’t replace Reader, but they’d get another capable interior pass rusher and another talented defensive tackle to add to a rotation that could help keep the line fresh and healthy deep into the season.
The defensive tackle class isn’t nearly as deep as the offensive tackle class is, which means Murphy will be a hot commodity for teams in the same boat as the Bengals, many of whom are in better draft position. The one thing that could save them is the fact those teams may also have more dire needs.
If Murphy does happen to fall, though, as A to Z Sports’ John Sheeran points out, the defensive tackle position is one of the highest-paid positions in the sport now that the demand for players like Reader has gone through the roof. That could push guys like Murphy up the draft and out of Cincinnati’s range.
Grabbing Murphy at 18 would lock him up for up to five years, not including a franchise tag, keeping the defensive interior talented and relatively inexpensive for the next few years. Obviously, that thought has legs, as other teams see the same thing some Bengals fans do.
What do you think? Will Murphy be available when the Bengals go on the clock next Thursday night?
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