Where an ESPN draft insider projects Myles Murphy, more Tigers in this week's draft

ESPN's Matt Miller says he's heard Myles Murphy won't go any lower than pick No. 20 this week. (Merrell Mann photo)

by TigerNet Staff - Sun Apr 23 12:26:48 GMT-04:00 2023

Another prominent ESPN NFL draft analyst has made his call on this week's upcoming event -- and that features six Tigers being taken ($).

Longtime draft expert Matt Miller made his seven-round projections, where he's heard Myles Murphy could be a target for No. 15 with Green Bay but he's ultimately projecting a No. 20 selection by the Seattle Seahawks.

"If the Packers decide to wait until Round 2 to tap into the very deep tight end class, I've heard that a pass-rusher like Clemson's Myles Murphy would be a fit here," Miller said of the No. 15 selection. "A source with knowledge of the Seahawks' draft plans told me this week that the floor for Murphy is No. 20 -- if the team doesn't select a defensive end at No. 5. Murphy, who blazed a 4.51-second 40-yard dash while weighing 270 pounds at his pro day, would give Seattle's defense the juice it needs coming off the edge. In a base 3-4 scheme, Murphy's ability in space would be a welcome addition, but it's his long-arm pass-rush move and power in the run game that would be the most immediate boost to the team. With Dre'Mont Jones signed in free agency and Jalen Carter projected at No. 5 overall, Seattle can remake the defensive line as it did with the offensive line in 2022."

Miller's next Clemson projection is on Day 2 of the draft with a No. 38 call for Bryan Bresee to Las Vegas.

"Bresee started the 2022 season as a first-round prospect on my board, but he couldn't match his earlier career tape as he made his way back from injury. The Raiders, however, can afford to take a chance on his upside and bet on a healthy Bresee returning to form. At 6-6 and 298 pounds, he has positional versatility and could slide from 5-technique to 3-technique," Miller said.

Trenton Simpson is pegged for a trip down I-85 to Atlanta at No. 44 overall in the second round.

"Adding speed on defense is the theme of this Atlanta draft so far, with Nolan Smith selected to rush the quarterback, and Simpson picked to be a playmaker at weakside linebacker. Simpson, who ran a 4.43 at the combine, has the rare speed and short-area quickness to be a factor in a pass-coverage and run-defending role," Miller said.

For final-day picks, Miller sees Davis Allen joining Bresee with the Raiders in the fourth round (109), KJ Henry a round later to the Indianapolis Colts (138) and Jordan McFadden in round six to the Houston Texans (188).

The latest NFL.com seven-round projection has Simpson leading all Tigers with a No. 26 selection by Dallas, followed on Day 1 by Murphy to New Orleans (29).

"Murphy could very well be the Greg Rousseau of this draft class, possessing good overall athleticism but lacking the dominant play and pure twitch many teams want at the position. The Saints have picked similar defensive ends in the past, though, and Murphy would replace Marcus Davenport," said Chad Reuter.

Bresee is then pegged to fill a D-line need for Seattle in the second round (projected trade for pick 37) and then two fourth-round picks with Henry to Cleveland (111) and Allen to the Bears (133). McFadden is picked to go in the fifth round to Indianapolis (162).

The NFL draft will be held from April 27-29 and broadcast on ESPN and NFL Network.

The last time Clemson had six or more NFL draft selections was 2020 (7). Clemson has had six-plus selections in a draft five times under Dabo Swinney.