NFL Draft 2023: Clemson’s Myles Murphy becomes latest potential first-round edge to visit Patriots

The New England Patriots are showing some keen interest in this year’s defensive edge class. Not only did they meet with several prospects at the Scouting Combine and the Pro Day trail, they have also brought in five for Top-30 visits.

The latest member of that group, and the 20th confirmed visit overall, is Clemson junior defender Myles Murphy. According to his Instagram, he was at the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium facility on Tuesday.

Murphy, 21, is coming off a productive three-year career with the Tigers. Starting 27 games, he registered 139 tackles — including 37.0 for a loss of yards — as well as 17.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. He also was voted first-team All-SEC during his 2022 season. Murphy decided to forgo his senior campaign to turn pro.

Considering that he projects as a potential first-round selection, it is no surprise that he made that call. It is also not hard to see why teams are high on him. Measuring just under 6-foot-5 and 268 pounds at the Scouting Combine, he offers good size and combines it with the positional flexibility to play several techniques along the defensive line. He also produced consistently during his time at Clemson.

In addition, Murphy has some strong baseline athleticism. His burst allows him to put pressure on offensive linemen right at the snap, while his testing numbers — 4.53 40-yard dash, 1.59 10-yard split, 4.29 short shuttle — backed up what he showed on the field. He earned a Relative Athletic Score of 9.71 in the pre-draft process.

The Patriots, who are facing an uncertain future at the edge with Matthew Judon turning 31 and Josh Uche in the last year of his contract, have spent considerable time with him so far. Not only did they meet with him at his Pro Day, he now has also visited Foxborough.

Accordingly, Murphy joins fellow projected early-round edges Nolan Smith (Georgia), Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech) and Lukas Van Ness (Iowa) on the list of Top-30 visits. The team also brought in late-round prospect Viliami Fehoko (San Jose State).