Vikings Draft 2024: 4 non-quarterbacks to target in the first round
By Luke Parrish
Prospect No. 3
Byron Murphy II - DT (Texas)
Sticking with the interior of the defensive line, Byron Murphy II is surging up draft boards.
NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah recently projected Murphy to the Vikings with the 11th overall selection as the first iDL off the board, which shows just how high the league may be on the Texas lineman.
The possible addition of the Texas lineman would give Minnesota two Byron Murphy namesakes on the defense, which, if anything, is a fun storyline for the season.
In all seriousness, Murphy is going to be in consideration in the first round and could even be a potential option for the Vikings at the top of the second round if the league continues to undervalue interior players.
If he does slide into the second, he would be a no-brainer for Minnesota with the 43rd overall pick.
Murphy finished the 2023 season with 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks and capped it off with a big man touchdown in the CFP semifinal, where he lined up as a fullback and powered into the end zone.
At 6-foot-1 and nearly 300 pounds, his athleticism is off the charts.
Prior to the season, Murphy made it onto Bruce Feldman's "freak list", which highlights some of the most outlandish athletes in college football.
Murphy has been recorded at 18 mph on his GPS while also front-squatting 455 pounds. He was a man amongst boys at Texas and will translate nicely to the NFL.