Caleb Murphy, EDGE Ferris State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Murphy is a defensive end from Dowagiac Union High School in Dowagiac, Mich. in the class of 2018

Teams searching for a small school prospect to take and develop with a late-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft should look into Ferris State’s Caleb Murphy. The reigning Cliff Harris, Ted Hendricks, and Gene Upshaw Award winner amassed 60.5 tackles for loss and 40 sacks over the past two seasons.

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Caleb Murphy, EDGE Ferris State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth year redshirt senior defensive end from Dowagiac, Mich.

Background: Murphy is a defensive end from Dowagiac Union High School in Dowagiac, Mich. in the class of 2018. He didn’t receive a star rating or national ranking from 247Sports. As a high school senior, Murphy amassed 97 tackles, including 27 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and six fumble recoveries. He received Honorable Mention All-State honors from the Detroit Free Press along with All-Region, All-Area, and All-Conference selections. As a high school junior, Murphy totaled 86 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and four fumble recoveries on his way to earning All-State, All-Region, All-Area, and All-Conference honors. Murphy played four sports in high school, including basketball, football, wrestling, and track and field. He’s added roughly 44 lbs. to his frame since committing to Grand Valley State in high school. Murphy redshirted with Grand Valley State in 2018. He transferred from Grand Valley State to Ferris State ahead of the 2020 season. Murphy won two NCAA Division II National Championships with the Bulldogs before declaring for the NFL Draft. He led the program to an undefeated season in 2021. The defensive end tied the single-season NCAA record with 39 tackles for loss in 2022 and broke the single-season record with 25.5 sacks. He became the first non-FBS player to win the Ted Hendricks Award, which goes to college football’s top defensive end. His brother, Cailyn Murphy, also played football at Ferris State.

2022 Production: 90 tackles, 39 tackles for loss (Ties NCAA Record), 25.5 sacks (NCAA Record)

2021 Production: 63 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles

2020 Production: Season Canceled (COVID-19)

2019 Production: 8 games, 13 tackles, 1 sack

2018 Production: (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2021 First-Team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), 2021 GLIAC Defensive Lineman of the Year, 2022 First-Team All-GLIAC, 2022 GLIAC Player of the Year, 2022 Ted Hendricks Award, 2022 Gene Upshaw Award, 2022 Cliff Harris Award, 2022 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) D-II First-Team All-American

Pros: Quick acceleration into his rush, activates hands early in the rep, gets into and attacks the tackle’s chest, double-handed swipe, rip move, long arm move, spin move, knows when to spin back into the action, converts speed to power, hands pack good pop to stun linemen, showed the power to bull rush DII linemen, flashes of reducing surface and working in half-man, attempts to dip under tackles at the peak of his rush, leg drive to create displacement, excellent closing speed as a backside run defender, motor runs hot, relentless pursuit, excellent at tracking down the football, good balance to maintain his footing when cut low by blockers, gets hands up for PBUs, attacks the football to force fumbles, carried good weight at the Shrine Bowl after initial size concerns

Cons: Age, competition level, arm length, lacks high-end bend, limited bend and short-area agility, lacks elite open field speed, room to improve pad level, inconsistent timing the snap, relied more on his physical dominance than technical development, rarely attacks the tackle’s inside shoulder, limited arsenal of rush moves, rush plan frequently carries him upfield and around the pocket, occasionally torqued out of rushing lanes, doesn’t consistently set a hard edge against the run, will collapse too far inside and open rush lanes to the edge, sealed inside or out in the run game, doesn’t show much awareness or instincts in coverage

Overview: Murphy took official measurements at the Shrine Bowl. He’s 6030 and weighs 254 lbs. He has ten-inch hands, 32 5/8-inch arms, and a 79 3/4-inch wingspan. At Ferris State, Murphy frequently took snaps in a stand up two-point stance but also has experience in a three-point stance. He took advantage of some snaps from wider alignments in the 7 and 9-tech positions while also receiving a steady diet of snaps in a traditional 5-tech role. Ferris State occasionally dropped Murphy into coverage as an inside linebacker or blitzed him from that alignment so he could ram into guards with a full head of steam. Those aren’t roles he’ll fulfill in the NFL. Murphy imposed his physical dominance on the NCAA Division II level during his two seasons with the Bulldogs. Many of the opponents he faced had no counter for his acceleration, closing burst, and power. A large portion of his wins came from hustle plays and out-athlete-ing the competition. However, Murphy still displays many desirable traits. He quickly accelerates into his rush and activates his hands early in the play. Murphy gets into and attacks the tackle’s chest, frequently converting speed to power on a bull rush or deploying a long arm move. He also uses a double-handed swipe, rip move, and spin move. His hands pack enough pop to stun linemen. Murphy showed flashes of reducing his surface area and attempting to dip under tackles at the peak of his rush. The Michigan native has strong leg drive and excellent closing speed as a backside run defender. His motor runs hot, and he’s relentless in pursuit. Murphy displays good balance to maintain his footing when cut low by blockers. Unfortunately, Murphy doesn’t have much real game tape against NFL-caliber competition. His arm length falls below the 33-inch threshold, and he possesses limited bend and short-area agility. The reigning Ted Hendricks Award winner has room to improve his pad level and time the snap better. Murphy was physically dominant at the Division II level, but he entered the pre-draft process with limited technical refinement. He lacks a deep bag of pass rush moves and counters. Attempting to win with acceleration and speed often led Murphy too far upfield and out of the play. Offensive linemen occasionally torqued him out of rushing lanes. Murphy doesn’t consistently set a hard edge against the run. Sometimes he collapses too far inside and opens outside rush lanes. Linemen had some success sealing him inside or outside on run plays. Murphy lacks the agility, awareness, and instincts to play off-ball linebacker in the NFL.

Overall, Murphy dominated the Division II level with his hustle, physical traits, and work ethic, but he faces a steep learning curve in the NFL. The Division II All-American has some tools that should serve him well at the next level, but his arm length and bend could become limiting factors. He’ll need to adapt to the league’s power and develop technically if he wants to maintain his effective bull rush and remain a contributor against the run.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Sixth to Mid Seventh

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 02-15-23