*Taylor Rapp – Noteworthy
Washington safety Taylor Rapp has declared for the NFL draft, giving up his final year of eligibility after being a second-team AP All-America selection. Rapp’s decision, announced on Wednesday, was expected after he received a high evaluation from the NFL College Advisory Committee. Rapp is expected to be an early-round selection. Rapp was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection the past two seasons and was the conference’s defensive freshman of the year in 2016. He finished his junior season with 59 tackles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Rapp did not play in the Rose Bowl due to a hip injury suffered in the Pac-12 championship game and his absence was felt in the 28-23 loss to Ohio State. Rapp went through pregame warmups but never took the field. – AP College Football
*Byron Murphy – Noteworthy
The Huskies, as expected, have lost another top defensive back early to the NFL draft. Washington cornerback Byron Murphy on Monday morning announced he will enter the NFL draft, leaving the Huskies with two seasons of eligibility remaining. As a third-year sophomore, Murphy is eligible to enter the 2019 draft. He is the second UW defensive back to leave early since the Rose Bowl, following junior safety Taylor Rapp’s announcement last Wednesday. Both Murphy and Rapp received second-round grades from the NFL College Advisory Committee.
Murphy, from Scottsdale, Ariz., was an Associated Press second-team All-American in 2018 and a first-team all-Pac-12 selection. He was the MVP of the Pac-12 championship game after he returned an interception 66 yards for the game’s only touchdown, helping the Huskies to a 10-3 victory over Utah last month. After a redshirt season in 2016, Murphy appeared in 20 games for UW over the past two seasons, all starts, and posted 74 career tackles, seven interceptions, 27 pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He missed six games in 2017 because of a broken foot. – Adam Jude, Seattle Times