Byron Murphy II vs. Johnny Newton: If the Bengals Go DT at No. 18, Who Should It Be?

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off one of the most predictable free agency periods in franchise history, both in terms of the players they signed and the ones they let walk.

But NFL Drafts are rarely predictable.

All expectations are that the Bengals will select an offensive tackle at No. 18, but a foreseen run on the position or a surprise slide by a player they have a 1-A grade on could change things.

Weighing Round 1 DT Options for the Bengals

Defensive tackle is not that far behind offensive tackle on the ranking of team needs.

And while there are a number of different scenarios that could play out at OT, a decision to take a DT at No. 18 likely will come down to one of two names — Texas’ Byron Murphy II or Illinois’ Johnny Newton.

Pro Football Network Lead Draft Analyst Ian Cummins recently came on The PFN Bengals Podcast to talk about a myriad of Cincinnati-related draft questions, including his take on how Newton and Murphy compare, and which would be the best fit for Lou Anarumo’s defense.

Murphy is 6’1″, 308 pounds, and his athleticism score of 85 at the NFL Scouting Combine ranked fourth among defensive tackles. He had eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss in three seasons with the Longhorns.

Newton is about the same size at 6’1 5/8” and 304 pounds. His athleticism score was 70, which ranked 12th among defensive tackles, but he had 18 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss in his four seasons with the Illini.

Asked to compare the players, this is what Cummings had to say:

“It’s a tough discussion because I love both guys. They’ve been closely rated for pretty much the whole cycle, but I’ve seen Johnny as a little bit better prospect pretty much the whole time.

“And the more we evaluate, the more I get stronger in that opinion,” Cummings added.

Cummings isn’t on his own with that opinion, but he is in the minority. He has Newton as his No. 14 prospect, and he has Murphy at No. 21.

One of the only other national analysts who has Newton higher is FOX Sports’ Rob Rang, who has him at 12 and Murphy at 30.

But the overall consensus has Murphy as the better prospect.

A sampling:

• Dane Brugler, The Athletic (Murphy 15, Newton 30)
• Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network (Murphy 19, Newton 32)
• Pro Football Focus Big Board (Murphy 9, Newton 11)
• Eric Edholm NFL.com (Murphy 10, Newton 37)
• Field Yates ESPN (Murphy 15, Newton 30)

“I like Byron Murphy a lot,” Cummings said. “They’re both explosive. They’re both well leveraged. Murphy is a little better at taking on combo blocks. But Johnny is just so sound as a player. He has such a high IQ as a player, really good strength, and I think what really separates him is his flexibility.

“His torso flexibility is insane. His ankle flexion. It’s really impressive. It’s one of the most impressive things I’ve seen from a DT prospect in a few years.

“If you’re the Bengals, and you’re just looking for a guy who can be that high-level 3-tech disruptor, and it’s not really about absorbing combo blocks, I prefer Newton,” he continued.

“Just because he’s so flexible and that flexibility is a finishing trait that really helps him see reps through to the end and disrupt quarterback disrupting run running lanes and occlude running lanes. I think it’s what makes him a more complete player. But I’m a big fan of both guys.”

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