One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft is the University of Buffalo linebacker, Red Murdock. He is a 6-2, 232-pound linebacker who is one of the more physical and hard-hitting linebackers in this entire draft. The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, has Murdock ranked as the 12th-best linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft and has a 4th-5th round grade on him.
Murdock played a total of four seasons at Buffalo and was a highly productive player for them during
his time there. During his four-year career, Murdock appeared in 42 games, including 31 starts, and totaled 364 tackles, 39.5 tackles for a loss, 9 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass deflections, and 17 forced fumbles. This past year, he started and played in 12 games and totaled 142 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks, 1 pass deflection, and 6 forced fumbles.
The Broncos re-signed veteran linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad this offseason to be their starters and released veteran Dre Greenlaw. However, both linebackers are 30+ years old, and the depth behind them is not great, so adding a linebacker like Murdock on day 3 would make sense. He is a physical downhill linebacker who has a nose for the ball and has forced 17 fumbles throughout his career. Murdock has the potential to be a late-round steal and could make sense for the Broncos.
Player Profile
Red Murdock | Linebacker | Buffalo
- Height: 6-2
- Weight: 232 pounds
- Arm Length: 31 1/8 inches
- Wingspan: 77 5/8 inches
- Hand Size: 10 3/8 inches
- 4o-time: 4.75 seconds
- 10-Yard Split: 1.63 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 31.5 inches
- Broad Jump: 9-6 inches
- Bench Press: 22 reps
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
- Good build – Muscular upper body that allows him to play a physical brand of football
- Highly productive player with a nose for the ball – 156 tackles in 24 and 142 in 25
- Disruptor – Had 39.5 tackles during his career and set the NCAA record with a whopping 17 career forced fumbles
- Run stopper – Downhill physical thumper
- Tackling – Uses his big, strong hands to shed blocks and is a physical tackler with good technique, and will finish the play violently
- Has good instincts and uses them to read and react quickly to a play and make the stop
- Was used as a blitzer and has some pass-rush upside
- Works well in traffic and isn’t afraid to take on a block and get dirty in the scrum
- Was a team captain and leader of that defense
- No injury concerns and did not miss a game over the past 3 seasons
- Special teams upside – Played on punt coverage units in college and has the traits to thrive in a special teams role
Weaknesses
- Coverage – He’s a two-down run thumper, and coverage is not his strength at all
- Will struggle in space and does not have the athleticism or speed to survive consistently in man coverage
- Limited overall athleticism – Not the fastest player, has tightness in his hips, and is slow at changing direction in space
- Played against a lot of non-NFL talent in college
What other analysts are saying about Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock
The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, on Buffalo LB Red Murdock
No need to know his number when watching film — Murdock is the guy always around the ball. He is still developing his instincts but drives on the football with a determined, attacking mindset to get through traffic. He does a nice job finding his balance as a one-on-one tackler without stopping his feet, which allows him to explode into ball carriers. Murdock is inconsistent as a space player, but he is a magnet to the football and plays with a physicality that will get the job done in the NFL. There is a place in the league for his competitive toughness and playmaking ability.
NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on Buffalo LB Red Murdock
Inside linebacker with a nose for the football and loads of production to prove it. Murdock plays firm at the contact point with physicality and toughness. He’s ready for battle when the ball comes downhill, but he lacks the closing burst to stay ahead of blocking schemes and shut down the outside run before it turns the corner. He’s a consistent tackler with good stopping power when he’s in position. His coverage features too many mistakes and a lack of recovery talent. Murdock lacks speed and third-down value, but he’s tough, makes plays and appears suited for core special-teams duties.
Red Murdock RAS
Should the Broncos draft Buffalo LB Red Murdock on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft?
I like his overall game, but the red flags concern me.
He has a nose for the ball, is a physical hitter, and has outstanding ball production. 17 career forced fumbles speak for themselves, and on top of that, he consistently made plays behind the line of scrimmage. However, he was playing against non-NFL talent most of the time, and that often hid his limitations.
He’s not overly athletic, struggles in space, and is not someone you want in man coverage. He’s a two-down run thumper who could thrive on special teams. Recently, these types of players have not had a role in the modern-day spread offense era. Teams were looking for lighter and faster linebackers who thrived in space while being liabilities in the run game. However, things are starting to shift back towards teams running the ball more and these run thumpers are once again needed.
If you want to win in the AFC West, you will need to stop the run. The Chiefs went out and paid Kenneth Walker, the Chargers LOVE running the ball and have Omarion Hampton, and the Raiders just hired a Kubiak, who loves to run the ball, and has Ashton Jeanty. On top of that, the Broncos have struggled against the Buffalo Bills run game in back-to-back years. So, a player like Murdock would make sense for the Broncos on Day 3. It would give them some run-stopping depth as well as a player who can contribute on special teams. He is also a captain, and we both know how this current regime emphasizes that sort of stuff.
He may not make sense for every team and be everyone’s type of linebacker, but with the NFL going more run-heavy again, two-down run stoppers like Red Murdock will be needed.
