NFL.com draft profile on DT Larrell Murchison

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LARRELL MURCHISON N.C. STATE DT

Prospect Info
COLLEGE
N.C. State
CLASS
r-Senior
HEIGHT
6' 2"
WEIGHT
297 lbs
ARMS
32 5/8"
HANDS
10"

Prospect Grade
5.97
Average Backup or Special-Teamer

2020 Draft Results
DRAFTED BY
TENNESSEE
TITANS
Tennessee Titans
Round 5 ‧ Pick 29

Combine Results
u-unofficial
40 Yard Dash
5.05
Bench Press
29
Vertical Jump
29
Broad Jump
118
3 Cone Drill
7.89
20 Yd Shuttle
4.51
60 Yd Shuttle
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Player Bio
Murchison started his collegiate career at Louisburg College, about two hours north of his home in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. He was an honorable mention junior college All-American and a top-50 JUCO recruit after his second year at Louisburg (17.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks). Murchison redshirted his first season with the Wolfpack and then earned the team's Defensive Lineman of the Year award as a 13-game starter in 2018 (34 tackles, eight for loss, four sacks, one interception, two pass breakups). He stepped up his game as a senior, garnering second-team All-ACC honors after leading his team with 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks (48 total tackles, two pass breakups in 12 starts).

Analysis
By Lance Zierlein
NFL Analyst
Draft Projection
Round 5

NFL Comparison
Tanzel Smart

Overview
Early into his evaluation, it's hard to get past the tight lower body that restricts his upfield and lateral strides with his feet barely leaving the ground. As the tape rolls on, it's impossible not to notice his motor and that he's always around the ball and rarely on the ground. Murchison has the ability to battle through blocks and come out well-oriented and ready to make plays. He's quick to process and respond but doesn't have great closing burst and lateral agility. He thrives in smaller spaces with less ground to cover and should become a good rotational three-technique for a 4-3 defense.

Strengths
Impact production against run and pass
Stutter-rush helps work edge to edge
Never stops charging forward to harass pocket
Effective spin counter at the top his rush
Quick lateral response to lineman's first movements
Cross-faces blockers majority of time
Consistently plays under his pads
Proper technique to brace and scrap versus double teams
Rarely ever on the ground

Weaknesses
Lower body tightness is restrictive
Unable to click and explode into initial blocks
Short-stepper with below-average closing burst
Limited reactive agility as short-area tackler
Hands are quick but would benefit from more deliberate force
Effort over traits could drop him in the draft a little