Opportunity arrives for Bengals first-round pick Myles Murphy

Cincinnati Bengals rookie defensive end Myles Murphy is a 6-foot-6, 275-pound first round pick who can run a 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. For his whole life, he has been bigger, stronger and faster than his competition.
In college at Clemson, Murphy was a freshman All-American. After the Bengals drafted him this year, Murphy expected a similar transition where he’d hit the ground running and wreak havoc in the backfield.
Instead, he was one of the quietest players on the field during training camp and the preseason. The 21-year-old has faced a learning curve in the NFL.
“It’s frustrating to not go in and dominate the way I know that I can,” Murphy said. “This experience is different. It’s definitely a humbling experience. I’ve just got to learn from it. I just have to work on my craft. The stats will come. I just have to be disruptive whenever I can.”
When Murphy struggled early in training camp, the expectation was that the Bengals were going to be able to ease Murphy into a role on the active roster. The Bengals could give him a few snaps per game as a situational pass rusher, or they could even keep him inactive at the start of the season and give him a chance to develop behind the scenes.
That changed when defensive end Joseph Ossai, the player ahead of Murphy on the depth chart, sprained his ankle in the preseason finale. Ossai told The Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway that he’d be out for the Bengals' season-opener and could miss up to 4 weeks.
Now, the Bengals will need Murphy to play a significant role right away on the Bengals’ defense.
“It’s all about going full speed,” Murphy said. “Really attacking the guys in front of me.”
Before Ossai got hurt, Murphy was the fifth defensive end on the Bengals’ depth chart. Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard are entrenched as the starters. Cam Sample is a run stopping specialist who plays 25-to-40% of the defense’s snaps in most games, and he was one of the Bengals’ most improved players during training camp.
Ossai was a breakout player on the Bengals’ defense during the second half of last season. He started translating his athleticism into creating pressure in the backfield, and Ossai is still on track to play 30-to-50% of the defense's snaps when he’s healthy.
Initially, Murphy looked like he’d spend his rookie year waiting for an opportunity as well as a chance to prove himself.
“It’s all about staying patient and always being ready,” said Bengals safety Dax Hill, who went through the same experience at his position last season. “That’s what I had to deal with last year. You always have to make the most out of whatever is your opportunity. Then when you get it, you have to seize the moment.”
Murphy is getting his chance right away. If he takes advantage of it, then Murphy could cement a role for the rest of the season. The Bengals would find ways to get him onto the field if he’s creating pressure, even when Ossai is back in the mix.Murphy is still figuring out the details that can turn him into the player he wants to be.
After Murphy’s preseason debut, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said that Murphy had to figure out how to “shift into a different gear” when he was in games. Murphy knew that he had to hone in small aspects of his game for his athleticism to lead to production.
“It’s about having a pass rush plan and committing to it,” Murphy said. “There’s small technique stuff with my hand placement and striking at the point of attack. It’s a bunch of small details.”
Even though Murphy is still adjusting to playing the defensive line in the NFL, he’s the Bengals’ most promising pass rusher on the second team defensive line. The Bengals’ coaching staff wants to manage Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard’s snap counts throughout the season to keep them fresher and more productive when they’re on the field. Murphy’s growth early in the season will shape whether Hubbard and Hendrickson play 70% of the defense’s snaps or 90% like they had to at times last season.
“It does take some of the pressure off of me knowing we have Sam and Trey,” Murphy said. “But anyone who knows me knows that I’m going to keep putting pressure on myself. This is what I’ve got to be. I go home every day and think about what I want to do tomorrow.”