Analysis: Byron Murphy Jr. making important plays for Vikings … and raising his price tag

Leading the Falcons by 14 points in the fourth quarter Sunday, the Vikings lined up in a zero blitz look, with seven defenders on the line of scrimmage and two defensive backs lined up over the two receivers on each side of Atlanta’s formation.

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins caught Drew Dalman’s shotgun snap and fired downfield for Kyle Pitts in about 1.4 seconds, just before Vikings safety Harrison Smith would arrive on an unblocked rush and shove Cousins as he followed through.

Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., playing the deep route on the play, peeled back for the end zone with his eyes on the ball. Cousins’ throw was behind Pitts; Murphy reached out with his right hand and caught it as his momentum carried him into the end zone.

“I just ended up tapping Kirk on the shoulder. I was just like, ‘Man,’” edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said after his team’s 42-21 victory at U.S. Bank Stadium. “He had no emotion. I was just like, ‘Hey brother, that’s just one of the ones. We just made a play.’

“I know it’s tough. I wasn’t trying to talk trash. I was just like, ‘I know that had to hurt.’ That’s why we’ve got 7 [Murphy] on our team, man. He just continues to get better and better.”

On a team that leads the NFL with 20 interceptions, Murphy has become their predominant ballhawk, salting away victories with interceptions such as the one he made against Cousins on Sunday. All six of his interceptions have come in the second half this season; five are in the fourth quarter of Vikings wins. The team was leading when Murphy made four of the fourth-quarter picks; his Dec. 1 interception of Kyler Murray helped the Vikings complete their 13-point comeback.

Murphy had never intercepted more than four passes in a season. His six interceptions this year are the most of any cornerback in the NFL, and he ranks third overall behind only Lions safety Kerby Joseph and Packers safety Xavier McKinney (who have seven each).

”I always joke with those guys: Most of the time, that [defensive backs] room is filled with former high school receivers that think they could easily do what ‘Jets’ [Justin Jefferson] and ‘JA’ [Jordan Addison] do,” coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.

“But Murph is one of those guys that I think has really plus ball skills, and it matters when you think about some of the interceptions he’s had. Yesterday’s is a great example of being able to track that like a receiver and essentially catch it one-handed. It makes him somebody you cannot just throw the ball up for grabs against.”

O’Connell recalled one from 2021, when he was the Rams’ offensive coordinator and Murphy was in his third year with the Cardinals. Matthew Stafford tried a deep throw for DeSean Jackson off play action; Murphy adjusted to the ball in midair and stepped in front of Jackson for the interception.

”That always stuck with me, his ability to make a play on the football,” he said. “And it’s been huge six times this year.”

No team has defended the pass more than the Vikings (499 attempts). According to NFL Next Gen Stats, no player in the NFL has been targeted more than Murphy (90 times). It means he’s had plenty of opportunities for interceptions, especially when quarterbacks are under pressure (as they’ve been on four of his picks).

”It’s a lot of hard work I put in the offseason, coaches, the guys in my [position] room just getting me better,” Murphy said. “I just love this team, to come to work every single day.“

Murphy also will be one of the Vikings’ most important offseason decisions.

He had turned down an extension offer before the season, opting to play out the final season of his two-year, $17.5 million deal. His 2022 back injury made his first deal with the Vikings more affordable, but the 26-year-old has been healthy this year, playing 92% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps, and is closing in on an incentive that would pay him an extra $1 million if he plays at least 85% of their snaps.

He can make another $250,000 if he’s named to the initial Pro Bowl team, and would make $1 million or $500,000 for first- or second-team All-Pro selections, respectively.

The incentives provide an on-ramp to a big payday this offseason, at the same time the Vikings consider whether to re-sign Camryn Bynum and pursue a bigger extension for Josh Metellus. Murphy figures to be one of the better corners on the free agent market this spring, and could command more than $17 million per season with a new deal.

He could continue to raise his price if he keeps coming down with fourth-quarter picks like the one he had on Cousins.