Fox Sports Analyst Tabs Seahawks’ Byron Murphy II Among NFL’s Elite Interior Defenders

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II has landed on Fox Sports analyst Bucky Brooks’ preseason All-22 “dream team” for the 2026 campaign, a recognition that places the third-year lineman among the top two interior defenders in Brooks’ evaluation of the league.

The nod follows a breakout season in which Murphy registered seven sacks — a dramatic leap from the half-sack he posted the previous year — while playing a key role in Seattle’s run to a Super Bowl title. Though he missed out on All-Pro honors in 2025, Brooks argues the lanky tackle is knocking on the door of that tier entering the new season.

In explaining the selection, Brooks highlighted Murphy’s disruptive style inside, noting that opposing offensive lines must account for his positioning on high-leverage downs when Seattle ramps up its pressure packages. Brooks also cited Murphy’s 13 quarterback hits from a year ago and projected the 306-pound defender as an All-Pro-caliber presence along the line of scrimmage in 2026.

Murphy’s rise carries significance for a Seahawks defense built around interior pressure, and another statistical jump this fall would strengthen the case that he belongs in conversations about the game’s premier tackles.

The coverage arrives via Fox Sports, one of the NFL’s principal broadcast partners. In market activity, shares of Fox Corporation (NASDAQ: FOXA) — the parent company of the Fox Sports media operation — closed down 3.44% at $65.42, compared with a prior close of $67.75, giving the entertainment and communications company a market capitalization of roughly $27.7 billion. Fox operates through its Cable Network Programming and Television segments, producing and licensing sports and news content for national distribution.

For Seattle, the recognition also underscores the return on the franchise’s investment in its defensive front, with Murphy positioned as the centerpiece heading into a season of heightened expectations following the championship run.

What to watch

• Murphy’s sack and quarterback-hit totals relative to his seven-sack, 13-hit 2025 season as the 2026 schedule unfolds.
• Whether Murphy earns All-Pro honors this season after missing the cut in 2025.
• Seattle’s defensive pressure rates and results on third downs in early-season games.
• Fox Corporation’s next quarterly earnings report, which will cover advertising performance across its sports programming slate.

Source: original release