NFL Draft: Buy or sell latest Kyler Murray rumors?

Rumors surrounding former Oklahoma football quarterback Kyler Murray NFL Draft expectations have arisen. Will he be the first pick?

We’ve been here before. Sam Darnold was the clear-cut top quarterback prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft. The USC signal-caller was the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns throughout his final collegiate season, the NFL Combine and the pre-Draft process.

Then Cleveland stunned onlookers when Baker Mayfield was announced from the commissioner’s podium. Here we are, one year later, wondering if history is going to repeat itself.

Much like Darnold, Kyler Murray has been the consistent QB1 atop draft boards for months. More so than his own innate abilities, Murray’s pairing with the Arizona Cardinals, holder’s of this year’s No. 1 overall pick, looks even more intriguing.

Murray’s flirtation with pro baseball delayed the legitimate candidacy to be the NFL’s top pick. When that subsided, there were few other reasons to doubt Murray’s future. The air-raid connection between new Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury and Murray makes the connection almost a no-brainer on paper.

Those leading indicators are readily apparent before turning on the film and watching Murray wow play after play. There might not be an obvious Hall of Fame-caliber passer in this draft class, but Murray has never had a problem making plays or winning games.

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco through that comfortable narrative into chaos on draft week, reporting the Cardinals weren’t locked in on Murray. As truthful as his information may be, the Cardinals might have already let the cat out of the bag. It all boils down to this: were the Cardinals trying to pull a fast one on the league like the Browns? It’s possible, but the nation being duped on the No. 1 pick two years in a row seems like a stretch.

Will Murray be the first overall pick? Those inside the Arizona Cardinals’ draft room know the answer, presumably. At this point, it’s hard to fathom why the team would go through this much effort to put on an elaborate smoke screen with no one ahead of them in the selection process. It’s not time to overthink things; Kyler Murray should be the No. 1 overall pick.