Byron Murphy Ii

Career StatsB+

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		31	7.5	98	10
2025		17	7.0	62	4
2024		14	0.5	36	6

Updated Jun 6, 2026

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Byron Murphy II drew a B on the Contract Value Index — a calibrated read on Seattle's cap allocation at DT. At $4M AAV on a four-year rookie scale deal, Murphy is operating in the sweet spot for a first-round interior pass rusher still on his entry-level contract: he's cheap relative to what he's producing, and the Seahawks locked in his services well before any breakout season could trigger a market reset. His 2025 season delivered 62 tackles and 7 sacks across 17 games, a respectable sophomore output that anchored Seattle's Super Bowl run and has now elevated him into All-Pro candidate territory heading into Year 3. The narrative around Murphy has shifted dramatically — media coverage treats him not as a developmental prospect but as a disruptive presence whose on-field impact finally matches the production sheet — yet his current deal remains a bargain precisely because it was signed before that narrative fully took hold. At 23 years old and only two seasons into his career, Murphy is in the rare position where he can deliver sustained Pro Bowl or All-Pro-caliber performance while the Seahawks continue reaping the salary-cap value of his rookie scale contract, making this one of the league's more undervalued interior defensive line arrangements heading into a championship-defense window. The CVI grade reflects both the quality of the deal today and the franchise's shrewd early-career positioning: Murphy isn't locked into a bloated extension, and if his trajectory continues, Seattle will have extracted years of elite production at a fraction of market rate.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Byron's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Byron Murphy II, Seattle's second-year defensive tackle, is emerging as a disruptive interior force after a disappointing rookie campaign. The 23-year-old has posted a B+ grade this season, marking a significant turnaround from his D+ performance in 2024. Murphy's elite athleticism and instinctive playmaking suggest he's beginning to unlock the upside that justified his selection. Murphy's current-season metrics reveal a player operating at the highest level in critical areas. His 0.41 sacks per game sits at the elite threshold (NFL average: 0.14), while his 3.65 tackles per game ranks among the league's best interior linemen (average: 1.82). His 0.76 QB hits per game also exceed the NFL average of 0.29, demonstrating consistent pressure generation. The primary concern is his 0.24 tackles-for-loss per game, which trails the NFL average of 0.27 and falls well short of elite production (0.66), suggesting he occasionally leaves meat on the bone in the backfield. The gap between Murphy's 2024 struggles and 2025 resurgence warrants close monitoring. If he can maintain this trajectory while improving his efficiency on negative plays, he projects as a long-term anchor for Seattle's defensive line—comparable in developmental arc to players who took 2-3 seasons to stabilize. Watch for consistency in the run game and whether his sack production proves sustainable or merely a hot streak. His ceiling remains high; his floor, unfortunately, is defined by last year's disappointing showing.

How Byron Compares at the Position

Byron Murphy Ii ranks 19th of 217 graded defensive tackles by performance. That slots Byron between Arik Armstead (B+) just ahead and Jarran Reed (B+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Byron Murphy II enters 2026 as a developing interior defensive lineman whose stock is rising within the Seattle organization, evidenced by his ranking as the team's second-most valuable player heading into the offseason. The narrative around him has shifted from depth piece to potential breakout candidate, with media outlets openly discussing whether he can crack the top-10 defensive tackle conversation and projecting increased sack production for the upcoming season. At just two years into his NFL career with 7.5 sacks and no major accolades, Murphy II remains a role player by traditional metrics, but the tone of recent coverage suggests the Seahawks and national media view him as a legitimate ascending talent rather than a depth contributor. His $4M annual contract reflects his current status, but the aspirational headlines—asking 'will he emerge?' and 'how many sacks?'—indicate genuine organizational belief in a Year 3 leap. Fan and media perception is cautiously optimistic and forward-looking, positioning Murphy II as a player to monitor rather than a proven star, with his 2026 performance likely to define whether the emerging narrative becomes reality or recedes.