Can Vikings UDFA Gabriel Murphy Be This Year's Ivan Pace Jr?

Last year, the Vikings complemented their draft class by signing one of the best players who didn't get selected. That was Ivan Pace Jr., an All-American linebacker from Cincinnati who was overlooked across seven rounds due to his lack of size. Pace went on to prove that size isn't as important as the ability to play football at a high level. Not only did he make the Vikings' roster, he started 11 games, won a defensive player of the week award, and graded as the 16th-best linebacker in the NFL out of the 66 who played at least 500 snaps (per PFF). He's a major part of Minnesota's defensive core heading into his second season.

This year, the Vikings again complemented their draft class by signing one of the best players who didn't get selected. And just like with Pace, it was almost entirely due to size. UCLA edge rusher Gabriel Murphy was ranked 111th on the media consensus big board, making him the highest-ranked player to go undrafted. He was also the top UDFA according to The Athletic's Dane Brugler, who had him ranked 127th. Like Pace last year, Murphy could've easily been drafted in the fourth round. But because he doesn't have prototypical size and length, he wasn't. As a result, the Vikings might've found another post-draft gem for defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Murphy is just 6'2" and 250 pounds. He's almost the same size as Vikings first-round pick Dallas Turner, who is roughly 6'3" and 255 pounds. Turner was a much better prospect for several reasons, but there's really just one key difference in their bodies: Murphy has very short arms (30.5"), while Turner's are nearly four inches longer. That arm length is presumably the main reason why he wasn't picked this year.

It's possible that Murphy's lack of length will hinder him at the NFL level in a way that it didn't in college. For the Vikings, it's absolutely worth finding out. This is a prospect who has just about everything going for him outside of size and length. Last year, as a fifth-year senior at UCLA, the former North Texas star had eight sacks, 16 total tackles for loss, 61 pressures, and an 87.6 PFF pass rushing grade. Then he went to the combine and posted good athletic testing numbers, including a 39.5-inch vertical jump that trailed only Turner among the edge rushers in this class. Murphy has an explosive lower body, powerful hands, plenty of bend around the edge, and an array of pass-rushing moves at his disposal. Simply put, he's a great athlete and football player who just happens to be undersized and have very short arms for an edge rusher.

Here's Brugler's scouting report on Murphy:

"A relentless pass rusher, Murphy stays on schedule with his upper and lower halves to explode around the edge or burst through gaps. Though he was a productive run defender in college with his
ability to elude blocks, he will struggle locking out, pressing and escaping NFL base blockers. Overall, Murphy’s lack of length and desired size will be tougher to mask at the next level, but he was a pass-rushing nuisance in college, because of his skilled hands and quick feet. He has the juice to make an impact as a subpackage rusher who can also play on special teams."

The comparison with Pace works because both players were highly productive in college and viewed as consensus fourth-round prospects before going undrafted for size reasons. But to be clear, Murphy shouldn't be expected to have anything close to the rookie season that Pace had in 2023. All Pace needed to do to earn a major role on the Vikings' defense last year was beat out Brian Asamoah II and Troy Dye. If Murphy is able to make the roster this year, he'll still be behind Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Turner, and possibly Pat Jones II and Andre Carter II in a stacked Vikings OLB room.

What Pace did last year — going from UDFA to dark horse rookie of the year candidate — was extremely rare. There's basically zero chance Murphy has anywhere close to that much success as a rookie. Nonetheless, he's worth keeping an eye on because he has the athleticism and talent to potentially make up for his lack of size and become a real asset for the Vikings down the line. Murphy should be viewed as a strong candidate to make the roster this year, contribute on special teams, and perhaps even earn a handful of rotational snaps off the edge. If he proves that he can overcome his arm length and beat NFL offensive tackles, he could be another undrafted steal for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings.