Pittsburgh Steelers film room: Washington cornerback Byron Murphy

The Negatives

Bryon Murphy is a little on the small side as a corner. NFL receivers are getting bigger and bigger and smaller corners are going to struggle to keep up. Murphy measured at 5’11” and 190 pounds at the combine.

He will need to bulk up some to build his smaller frame into a more NFL ready build. He is willing to come up and initiate contact but his small frame will only last so long. It will also help him become better in the press against bigger guys by developing a larger bulk in his frame.

Ball hawking comes with some risks and can make guys susceptible to double moves. Murphy will need to make sure he does not jump routes too early and get left in the dust watching a receiver high step to pay dirt.

His lack of experience is another negative point on his card for teams. He has played in just 20 career games in college which is just a little under two full seasons of ball. This can alarm teams that he is not ready to be a starter and needs more work than a guy with more games played.

While he is not afraid to support the run, he is not necessarily a run-stuffer. He often resorts to lunge tackles which cause him to whiff on attempts. If his small build forces him to the slot in the league, he may not be able to hold a starting spot due to his lack of consistent run support.