| No. 7 –Minnesota Vikings | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1998-01-18)January 18, 1998 (age 27) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Saguaro (Scottsdale, Arizona) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Washington (2016–2018) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2019: 2nd round, 33rd pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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Byron Murphy Jr. (born January 18, 1998) is an American professionalfootballcornerback for theMinnesota Vikings of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football atWashington.
Murphy attendedSaguaro High School inScottsdale, Arizona. He playedcornerback andwide receiver. As a senior, he had 88 receptions for 1,733 yards and 21touchdowns on offense and 52 tackles and seveninterceptions on defense.[1] Murphy committed to theUniversity of Washington to playcollege football.[2]
Afterredshirting his first year at Washington in 2016, Murphy played in six games with six starts in 2017, missing seven due to injury. He finished the season with 16 tackles and three interceptions.[3][4][5] He returned to Washington as a starter in 2018.[6] He was awarded the MVP at the2018 Pac-12 Football Championship Game after making two interceptions, one of which he returned for a 66-yard touchdown.[7] On January 7, 2019, Murphy announced that he would forgo his remaining two years of eligibility and declare for the2019 NFL draft.[8]
| Season | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Cmb | TfL | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2016 | 0 |  Redshirted | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 14 | 37 | 21 | 58 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 78 | 19.5 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 20 | 50 | 24 | 74 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 6 | 95 | 28.0 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sports Illustrated and NFLDraftScout.com had Murphy ranked as the second best cornerback prospect in the draft.[9]Pro Football Focus and NFL draft analystBucky Brooks had Murphy ranked as the top cornerback prospect in the 2019 NFL draft.[10][11]Scouts Inc. also ranked him as the best cornerback in the draft (27th overall).[12] NFL media analystDaniel Jeremiah listed Murphy as the top cornerback prospect (26th overall).[13] NFL draft analysts projected Murphy to be a first round pick and the first cornerback to be selected in the 2019 NFL Draft.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Byron Murphy's NFL Combine Workout | |
| PFF Prospect Profile: Byron Murphy |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft10+3⁄4 in (1.80 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 30+1⁄8 in (0.77 m) | 8+7⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.55 s | 1.59 s | 2.67 s | 4.13 s | 6.83 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 14 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[14][15][16] | ||||||||||||
TheArizona Cardinals selected Murphy in the second round (33rd overall) of the2019 NFL Draft.[17] He was the second cornerback selected in 2019, behindDeandre Baker (30th overall), who was drafted by theNew York Giants before being released after one season. Murphy was also the second of seven Washington players drafted that year and the first of three Washington defensive backs.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Cardinals select Byron Murphy No. 33 | |
| ESPN NFL Draft Profile: Byron Murphy |
On May 9, 2019, the Arizona Cardinals signed Murphy to a four–year,$7.98 millioncontract that includes $5.63 million guaranteed and asigning bonus of $3.83 million.[18]
Throughout training camp, he competed to be a starting cornerback againstTramaine Brock andChris Payton-Jones after long-time starting cornerbackPatrick Peterson was suspended for the first six games of the regular season. Head coachKliff Kingsbury named Murphy and Tramaine Brock the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season.[19]
On September 8, 2019, Murphy made his professional regular season debut and earned his first career start, recording five combined tackles (four solo) during a 27–27 tie with theDetroit Lions. In Week 5, he racked up a season-high nine combined tackles (seven solo) and a pass deflection in the Cardinals' 26–23 victory at theCincinnati Bengals. On November 10, 2019, Murphy made five solo tackles, a pass deflection, and had his first career interception off a pass thrown byJameis Winston and originally intended for wide receiverChris Godwin in a 30–27 loss at theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[20] He completed his rookie season with a total 78 combined tackles (66 solo), ten pass deflections, and one interception while starting all 16 regular season games.
During training camp, Murphy competed againstRobert Alford,Dre Kirkpatrick, andB. W. Webb to be the No. 2 starting cornerback. Defensive coordinatorVance Joseph also had Murphy transition to a role as the primary nickelback.[21] Head coach Kliff Kingsbury named Murphy and Patrick Peterson the starting cornerbacks to start the regular season.[22]
In Week 6, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles (seven solo), two pass deflections, and recovered a fumble during a 38–10 victory at theDallas Cowboys. In Week 7 , Murphy recorded two solo tackles and had his first career sack onRussell Wilson as the Cardinals defeated theSeattle Seahawks 37–34 in overtime onSunday Night Football.[23] On November 2, 2020, the Arizona Cardinals placed Murphy on the reserve/COVID-19 list. On November 11, 2020, the Arizona Cardinals reactivated him, but he subsequently was inactive for the Cardinals' Week 9 loss to theMiami Dolphins.[24][25] On December 20, 2020, Murphy made four solo tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, and a sack during a 33–26 victory against thePhiladelphia Eagles. He finished the2020 NFL season with 51 combined tackles (40 solo), eight pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and two sacks in 15 games and seven starts.[26]
After starting cornerbacksPatrick Peterson andDre Kirkpatrick departed in free agency defensive coordinatorVance Joseph was required to fill their roles. Murphy competed to be a starting cornerback, amongst the likes ofRobert Alford,Malcolm Butler,Daryl Worley,Darqueze Dennard, and rookieMarco Wilson. Head coachKliff Kingsbury named Murphy and Marco Wilson the starting cornerbacks to begin the season.[27]
On September 26, 2021, Murphy made four combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, two interceptions, and scored his first career touchdown during a 31–19 victory against theJacksonville Jaguars. His touchdown came in the second quarter, after quarterbackTrevor Lawrence had a pass that was intended forJacob Hollister deflected by linebackerJordan Hicks and caught by Murphy before returning it for 29-yards for a touchdown. His Week 3 performance against Jacksonville earned him theNational Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week.[28] He was sidelined for the Cardinals' Week 5 win against theSan Francisco 49ers after injuring his ribs. In Week 13, he recorded six combined tackles (four solo), was credited with half a sack, a season-high two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byAndy Dalton in the Cardinals' 33-22 victory at theChicago Bears.[29] He finished the2021 NFL season with a total of 64 combined tackles (49 solo), one touchdown, was credited with half a sack, and lead the Arizona Cardinals with 12 pass deflections and four interceptions in 15 games and 15 starts.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury named Murphy andMarco Wilson the starting cornerbacks to start the season. On September 18, 2022, Murphy made one tackle and recovered a fumble byHunter Renfrow that was caused byIsaiah Simmons for a 69–yard return to score the game-winning touchdown during a 29–23 overtime victory against theLas Vegas Raiders. On December 24, 2022, the Arizona Cardinals placed Murphy on season–endinginjured reserve due to a back injury and subsequently lead to him missing the remaining seven games of the season (Weeks 10–18).[30] He finished the season with 36 combined tackles (22 solo), four passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries through nine starts.
On March 15, 2023, theMinnesota Vikings signed Murphy to a two–year, $17.50 million contract that includes $12.60 million guaranteed and an initialsigning bonus of $7.00 million.[31][18] He was signed to be a starting cornerback after the departures ofCameron Dantzler and former teammatePatrick Peterson. Murphy entered training camp slated as the No. 1 cornerback under defensive coordinatorBrian Flores. Head coachKevin O'Connell named Murphy andAkayleb Evans the starting cornerbacks to begin the season.
On September 24, 2023, Murphy recorded a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) and broke up two passes during a 24–28 loss to theLos Angeles Chargers. On October 15, 2023, Murphy made four combined tackles (two solo), a season-high three pass deflections, and had his first interception as a member of the Vikings on a pass attempt thrown byTyson Bagent intended for wide receiverD. J. Moore in the Bears' last drive in the end of the fourth quarter to seal a 19–13 victory at theChicago Bears.[32] In Week 10, he made three solo tackles, tied his season-high of three pass deflections, and had his third interception of the season on a pass byTaylor Heinicke toDamiere Byrd during a 27–19 win against theNew Orleans Saints. He was sidelined for the last three games (Weeks 16–18) of the season after injuring his knee. He finished the season with a total of 57 combined tackles (43 solo), a career-high 13 pass deflections, and three interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts.[33]
Throughout training camp, Murphy competed to regain his role as a starting cornerback againstShaq Griffin. Head coach Kevin O'Connell named Murphy a starting cornerback alongsideStephon Gilmore to begin the season. He was also the starting nickelback.
On November 10, 2024, Murphy made one solo tackle, broke up a pass, and had his third consecutive game with an interception off a pass byMac Jones during a 12–7 win at theJacksonville Jaguars. In Week 13, he had five combined tackles (four solo), a season-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byKyler Murray as the Vikings defeated theArizona Cardinals 23–22. The following week, he recorded three combined tackles (one solo), a pass deflection, and set a career-high with his sixth interception of the season on a pass thrown byKirk Cousins during a 42–21 win at theAtlanta Falcons. In Week 16, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo) and broke up a pass as the Vikings won 27–24 at theSeattle Seahawks. He finished with a total of 81 combined tackles (62 solo), a career-high 14 pass deflections, and a career-high six interceptions while starting all 17 games.[34] He was named to the2025 Pro Bowl for his first careerPro Bowl and also received a $250,000 incentive bonus for it.[35]
On March 10, 2025, the Minnesota Vikings re-signed Murphy to a three–year, $66 million contract extension.[36][18]