The Byron Murphy II disrespect from NFL’s social media account has been well noted

The Byron Murphy II disrespect from NFL’s social media account has been well noted

The Seattle Seahawks have had Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists in back-to-back seasons, but neither Riq Woolen nor Devon Witherspoon was able to take home the award. In fact, no Seahawks player has ever won Offensive or Defensive Rookie of the Year. Byron Murphy II, Seattle’s top draft pick, says one of his goals is to win that award.

The NFL’s X/Twitter account sent out a post asking for predictions on who wins DROY for 2024. The graphic highlights Laiatu Latu, Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Chop Robinson, Quinton Mitchell, and Terrion Arnold. Everyone is a first-round pick, sure, but it seems a bit weird that the second defensive player drafted is an omission.

You know who did take notice? Byron Murphy.

Defensive tackles winning Rookie of the Year is not overly common but we have fairly recent precedent! Ndamukong Suh (2010), Sheldon Richardson (2013), and Aaron Donald (2014) all won this award in a five-year span. Jalen Carter didn’t win the award last season but he was at the runner-up to Will Anderson. Philadelphia having a terrible defense clearly indicates the quality of the defense didn’t heavily damage Carter’s chances of winning.

Of course, Murphy II will have to stay healthy, put in the work, and have the standout performances to have a shot at fulfilling his goal of winning DROY. From there, it’s all up to the Associated Press voters. History has not been kind to Seahawks players on that front.