Cardinals Draft CB Byron Murphy No. 33 Amid Patrick Peterson Trade Rumors

The Arizona Cardinals drafted former Washington Huskies cornerback Byron Murphy with the 33rd overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller had the 5'11", 190-pound defensive back as the No. 18 overall prospect in this year's class.

Although Murphy only suited up for two seasons after redshirting in 2016, he made the most out of his time with the Huskies. 

Murphy recorded 58 total tackles, 13 pass breakups and four interceptions in 2018. His 66-yard pick-six proved to be the only touchdown of Washington's 10-3 victory over Utah in the 2018 Pac-12 Championship Game, earning him MVP honors.

He also received first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award (best defensive player) last season.

Some teams may have had a concern about the corner's limited experience at the college level. He appeared in just 20 games during his three years on campus, with 14 coming as a redshirt sophomore last season. He missed seven games due to injury in 2017.

However, his film gives the Cardinals plenty to be excited about.

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NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein noted that Murphy recorded seven interceptions and 20 pass breakups on just 87 career targets at Washington.

Per Pro Football Focus' Austin Gayle, Murphy's overall grade of 92.0 in 2018 was tops among FBS corners with at least 400 snaps. Meanwhile, his career grade of 93.5 ranks fourth among Power Five cornerbacks since 2014.

"It's always been the goal to be the best corner," Murphy told Pro Football Focus in February, per Gayle.

Now he will have the opportunity to show why he was one of the top-rated defensive backs in this year's draft class. 

It will be fascinating to see if this impacts the future of Patrick Peterson; however, if Peterson remains in Arizona, the Cardinals will have a nice group of cornerbacks. Peterson made some waves this week, skipping voluntary workouts. That led to trade rumors surrounding the 28-year-old veteran, though for now he remains with the Cardinals.

And now he has a young protege in Murphy.