Seahawks, First-Round Pick Byron Murphy II Waste No Time Agreeing to Contract
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The Seattle Seahawks have signed 2024 first-round draft pick, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, to a four-year rookie contract with a fifth-year option, the team announced Friday.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, Murphy and the Seahawks are tied together for the next four years with a fifth-year option that includes $16.083 million including a $8.516 million signing bonus.
As standard with every first-rounder, his contract is fully guaranteed.
Murphy arrived at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on Friday for the first day of rookie mini camp with the rest of the seven draft picks, along with 16 undrafted rookie free agents, and got right to work.
“I feel like I had a great day of practice,” Murphy told reporters after day one. “I feel like there’s some things I need to work on. But I feel like I’m learning, I’m still learning. Still getting in the groove of things, but overall today, I feel like I had a good day.”
With the No. 16 overall pick signing his contract it puts the Seahawks $393,033 over the salary cap, with seven more rookie contracts still yet to sign which will only put the team further in the red.
Murphy took the field for the first time in Seattle alongside a familiar face, former DeSoto High School teammate, defensive end DeVere Levelston, an undrafted free agent signing out of SMU.
“It feels great to have a guy up here [that] I played high school ball with,” Murphy said. “DeVere is like a brother to me, always has been. He was an older guy back then in high school – I was under his wing at DeSoto. So just to have him here, it’s great.”
The two played one season together during Murphy’s sophomore season in 2018.
Despite having a successful first season in his own right with 37 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 1 sack, the older Levelston finished his senior season with 82 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 9 sacks.