NFL draft: Redskins draft Stanford LB Trent Murphy 47th overall

The Redskins selected Stanford linebacker/defensive end Trent Murphy with the 47th overall pick on Friday night.

Murphy, 6-foot-6, 261 pounds, started all 14 games for the Cardinal in 2013. He finished with 62 tackles, including 23.5 for a loss and 15 sacks. Murphy forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass.

Murphy, a Mesa, Arizona native, visited Redskins Park in late March for a workout. He immediately joins pass rushers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, who were chosen in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Orakpo, who led the Redskins with 10 sacks in 2013, is a free agent at the end of next season after signing a one-year franchise tender offer for $11.45 million.

“I couldn’t be more excited that’s where I ended up,” Murphy said.

Murphy said he isn’t entirely sure how Washington’s coaching staff will use him schematically. He is a hybrid player who played in a 3-4 defense in college. That will be in the case in Washington again. He says as a pass rusher he can use his length and hands to fend off offensive lineman and get past them.

“The biggest challenge is I can play really hard and do something really good one play or two plays and them the biggest thing is consistency. I want to show that aggression, a relentless effort to the ball every play for 60 plays the entire game and that’s what I need to take my game to the next level.”

Murphy is an ornery character who grew up riding horses and roping steers on his family’s land in Mesa, according to a profile in the San Jose Mercury News last December. That’s where he watched the draft on Friday night. He is known for a relentless motor even if his athletic gifts aren’t elite compared to other defensive linemen or linebackers in the draft.

Murphy said he would prefer to begin his career as an outside linebacker. Learning from Kerrigan and Orakpo, two similar players, is ideal.

“Just to be able to learn from a couple of guys like that and see two guys that are successful at the position,” Murphy said. “And how they do it and how they teach it. I’m pretty excited and hopefully I can find a role into that rotation.”