The Cincinnati Bengals weren’t going to let Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy get away from them in the 2023 NFL draft.
Case in point, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com revealing that the front office ignored trade offers to move back out of the No. 28 pick, opting to stay put and get the No. 1 guy on their board:
Yet the Bengals were unshakeable in their belief that Murphy was their guy as the first round slipped away and the phone rang with offers of a trade back. Not far back, but far enough. They weren’t going to risk losing Murphy and his productive career on the Clemson edge, they decided, so they stayed at No. 28 during a week the AFC stepped up its arms race stockpiling elite quarterbacks.
It says a lot that the team could have picked up at least an extra draft pick in the move back and potentially still had a shot at Nolan Smith or Michael Mayer at a later pick.
And yet, the Bengals stood still, ignored that appealing option and took their top guy, one who coaches say will be in the mix right away and have a big impact.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, to hear Murphy has also been rated as one of the bigger steals of the draft.
