Marcus Murphy, RB/KR/PR, Missouri – 2015


Was a redshirt senior.

All-Star Games: Was invited to the College Gridiron Showcase, but chose to go to the Senior Bowl as a last-minute addition.

Positives: A solid running back whose brightest future is as a returner in the NFL. Runs with above-average speed, lateral quickness and ability to change directions. Also shows good burst. Good vision and picks his way through traffic well. Shows good balance after contact and is able to keep going for extra yards. Holds the ball well after contact. His hands and body control are generally adequate as both a receiver and a punt returner, and he adjusts fairly well to passes thrown behind him. Runs pretty good routes and is quick out of his breaks. He is justifiably confident in his hands as a punt returner, and shows pretty good concentration when fielding punts, even being able to field punts even after a defender knocks him off balance. He shows patience on kick returns and sets up his blockers pretty well. Gets upfield quickly on punt returns, and doesn’t waste time going sideways. Makes smart kick return decisions and is willing to wait for the right opportunity – he will let the ball bounce in the end zone instead of returning it dangerously.

Negatives: As a running back, he needs to be more decisive and cut the ball up field instead of trying to dance through traffic on running plays. Has a slight tendency to let passes get to his body. His confidence in his punt returning abilities sometimes puts him in dangerous positions, and he will field difficult punts in traffic instead of letting them hit the ground. Below-average pass protector who will lunge and miss, not keeping his base.

Projection: Round 7-UDFA. Though he has some skills as a running back – and can contribute as a part-time role player there – he is most likely to stick on a roster as a very good returner.

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