Former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray took the college football world by storm this past year, thrusting himself into early NFL Draft consideration.
Murray, who had previously been drafted by the Oakland A’s and was expected to begin his pro baseball career after a season directing the high-octane Oklahoma offense, had a change of heart. Despite some saying he should stick with baseball, Murray entered his name into April’s NFL Draft and quickly was pegged as the No. 1 overall pick.
Despite his small size, Murray dominated at the collegiate level, stepping right in for Baker Mayfield and leading the Sooners to a conference title and spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. He finished this past year with 4,361 yards passing, 42 touchdowns, 1,001 yards rushing and 12 more touchdowns.
After enrolling at Texas A&M to play for Kevin Sumlin, Murray transferred to Norman and found a new home with head coach Lincoln Riley. Oklahoma took full advantage of all of his skills, as he completed 69 percent of his passes and had just seven interceptions in 377 pass attempts.
Strength
For Murray, it all comes down to athleticism. He might just be 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, but when he’s out on the football field, he plays like a giant. Speed, explosiveness and a powerful arm are his biggest attributes, and are what make NFL scouts drool watching him.
Murray had some success his first year at Texas A&M all the way back in 2015, completing almost 60 percent of his passes. But that number jumped by nine percentage points at Oklahoma, as he averaged 11.6 yards per attempt and threw 42 touchdowns.
The production Murray provided kept the Sooners from missing a beat with the departure of Baker Mayfield. And the comparisons to Mayfield are easy. Murray is a bit smaller, but definitely quicker, and he just might have an even better arm for the deep ball.
Weakness
As obvious as the strengths are for Murray, the weaknesses are just as glaring. Yes, he is under 6-feet tall and he only has roughly 30 games of playing experience under his belt.
Murray cannot change his height no matter how many times he is measured or stretched out. He is what he is, as the old saying goes, but the exciting prospect has more than made up for it with his play on the field.
The experience is something Murray can improve upon with time, which could be a double-edged sword at the NFL level. Say he is drafted by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 1 and they do ship out Josh Rosen, Murray is going to be expected to start from Week 1. That might not be the best approach for the youngster, as time learning under Kliff Kingsbury and a veteran quarterback could be the better solution for the long-term future.
Draft expectations
If Murray does go No. 1, it will be an incredible climb for someone who was seen as a possible weak-link to the Oklahoma offense before last season started. The price paid to land elite quarterbacks is a steep one in the NFL, and for the Cardinals to use back-to-back picks on gunslingers would say a lot about how they feel regarding Murray.
It is possible he slides down the draft order, especially considering all the talk around his size and the influx of incredible defensive talent available. But don’t expect him to fall far, as the skills he brings will make someone jump out of their seats to secure him.
Projection: Top 5 selection