Marcus Murphy to the New Orleans Saints: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The New Orleans Saints nabbed former Missouri Tiger Marcus Murphy with the No. 230 overall pick, and by bringing him in, the Saints acquired a talented skill player who can fill multiple roles.  

At 5’8” and 193 pounds, Murphy provides New Orleans with a shifty, elusive offensive weapon who could offer a substantial contribution to the Saints’ return game.

He comes to New Orleans having earned numerous accolades at the collegiate level. Just last season, he was named first-team All-SEC as an all-purpose back. In 2013, he was named second-team All-SEC (all-purpose), and in 2012, he was first-team All-SEC as a return specialist.

In 2014, Murphy did it all. He rushed for over 1,100 yards (5.2 yards per carry) while adding over 212 more as a receiver on 28 catches. He added another 785 yards in returns, and he reached the end zone a total of eight times.

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The compact, sturdily built scatback doesn’t have game-changing speed, but he has enough to pull off big gains on running plays. Thanks to his agility and explosiveness, he’s highly effective as a ball-carrier, and he can be a linebacker’s nightmare in the open field. He’s best utilized in space, as he has a unique ability to make something happen when the play breaks down.

In the passing game, he displays nice hands, and he’s an accomplished route-runner who can line up in the slot and get separation.

It’s in the return game, though, where Murphy can do his greatest damage. With his top-notch agility and burst, he can slice through return lanes in attacking fashion.

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Murphy has his limitations, however, especially as a running back. For one, his speed isn’t what you’d expect from a player of his size and skill set. He relies more on quickness and acceleration than he does straight-line speed, and this could get him into trouble in the NFL if he attempts to juke defenders too frequently.

He’s also not a very physical player, although this isn’t particularly surprising. With his small frame, he’s not as effective as others when it comes to picking up blitzes, which could ultimately limit his time on the field.

As a Saint, Murphy could ultimately fit in quite well. While the Saints are likely to use him in the vertical passing game, his talents should be effectively utilized in New Orleans' horizontal offense. It’s easy to envision him catching short swing passes and screens, and he could also line up in the slot and run short out routes, drags and quick hitches.

Then there’s the return game to consider. Jalen Saunders came on toward the end of last season, but he doesn’t have a large enough body of work to be handed full-time kickoff and punt return duties quite yet. 

Murphy brings a lot to the table as a scoring threat. A quick refresher on the New Orleans offense over the past several seasons reveals that the Saints can effectively utilize players of his size and skill set.

As long as they come up with creative ways to get him the ball in space, Murphy could become a solid contributor for the Saints.