Few players elevated their value more in 2024 than Byron Murphy Jr.
Murphy, 27, came into the season as a good player who was a quality cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores. By year’s end, Murphy was a first-time Pro Bowler, showing his capacity both in the slot and on the perimeter.
After four years with the Arizona Cardinals, Murphy signed a two-year, $17.5 million deal with Minnesota in 2023. In ’24, he reached a new level, posting career-highs of six interceptions, 81 tackles, six tackles for loss and 17 games played.
Now, poised to hit free agency for the second time in his career, Murphy is one of the top corners on the market along with D.J. Reed and Charvarius Ward.
Here are three teams that should be at the top of the list in terms of interest for Murphy, who is one of the top corners on Sports Illustrated’s top 50 free agents list.
1. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings want to keep Murphy around, as evidenced by them mutually agreeing to push the void date back on his contract. The two sides are working to find common ground, which makes sense both because of Murphy’s play and because fellow corner Stephon Gilmore is once again a free agent.
Last season, Minnesota won 14 games largely because it had one of the league’s best defenses, and Murphy was arguably the best player in the secondary. Without him and Gilmore, the Vikings would essentially be starting from scratch at corner.
While Murphy could be fairly expensive, Minnesota is flush with cap space with approximately $63 million, provided it doesn’t slap the franchise tag on quarterback Sam Darnold. Keeping Murphy should be a top priority.
2. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders need to completely rebuild their roster, and starting that endeavor by finding a quality corner would be wise. To that end, Murphy makes sense.
Las Vegas has more cap space than any team in football sans the New England Patriots, sitting at $99.7 million. The Raiders have Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins up front but not much in the back seven, particularly the secondary. Murphy’s talent and versatility would give defensive coordinator Patrick Graham a nice piece to deploy against top receivers.
While the Raiders will likely make calls on Reed and Ward as well, Murphy is a terrific option for the Silver & Black.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville cleaned house this offseason (reluctantly, but it finally happened) by moving on from both general manager Trent Baalke and coach Doug Pederson. While the Jaguars have yet to hire Baalke’s replacement, they hired Liam Coen as coach, giving them an offensive mind to get Trevor Lawrence and that side of the ball correct.
However, the defense needs as much attention and should be their area of concern in free agency. While Tyson Campbell is a good corner, there’s not much else on the depth chart, making Murphy an ideal fit.
Jacksonville has long been aggressive in free agency, for better or worse. If the Jaguars plan to spend lavishly over the coming weeks, landing Murphy to pair with Campbell would be a victory, especially in a conference loaded with top-flight quarterbacks.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Free Agency 2025: Top Three Landing Spots for Byron Murphy Jr..
