Oklahoma Sooners star quarterback Kyler Murray had a big decision to make on his future and the 2019 NFL Draft specifically. But on Monday, that decision was made and it meant that the electrifying signal-caller will continue his NFL career while turning down an MLB opportunity.
Although Murray was selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics, rumblings as of late had ramped up that he would consider heading into the NFL instead. Until the start of this week, nothing had been decided, but that quickly changed. Murray revealed his decision on social media with a tweet that sent many NFL fans into a frenzy.
I have declared for the NFL Draft.
With Murray entering the NFL draft, it’s led to scouts throwing out a variety of potential outcomes for the Sooners quarterback. He’s been touted as anywhere from the potential No. 1 pick to a prospect who will be drafted at some point, but possibly not early. We’re going to take a look at a few realistic landing spots for Murray in the draft, as well as what round the team could select him.
When Will Kyler Murray Get Picked?
We’ll start with the topic of where Murray could come off the board. With Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert opting to return to school, it changes the outlook of the 2019 draft class quite a bit. Although I’m not completely sold that Murray is a first-round pick, all it takes is one team to fall in love with him to make that possibility quickly become a reality.
On the opposite side of that argument, I have a hard time envisioning the Heisman Trophy winner falling past the second or third round at the latest. There are simply too many quarterback-needy teams, and with Murray’s upside, spending a pick on day two of the draft makes sense for almost all of them.
I’m going to evaluate some of the potential landing spots below as well as when I believe the team could actually use a pick on Murray. For example, the Jacksonville Jaguars are on the list with the No. 7 pick, and it’s more likely they use their first-rounder on him than the Oakland Raiders (No. 4). In turn, I’ll leave Oakland’s early first-round selection out of the mix.
Who Should Pick Kyler Murray?
*Note: All draft order information from Tankathon.com and include the selections in the first three rounds.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 7, 38, 69, 94)
- New York Giants (No. 6, 37)
- Denver Broncos (No. 10, 41, 72)
- Miami Dolphins (No. 13, 48, 79)
- Washington Redskins (No. 15, 46, 77)
- Oakland Raiders (No. 35, 66)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 39, 70)
- New England Patriots (No. 56, 61, 74)
- Los Angeles Chargers (No. 60, 92)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 84)
The Jaguars, Giants, Broncos, Dolphins, and Redskins are all teams who wouldn’t be surprising to see use a first-rounder on Murray. I think the Giants could potentially be taken off the list with a pick that high, but they’ll make the cut for the time being.
Beyond that, any of the other five teams using one of the picks listed in rounds 2-3 on Murray would make sense. In the situations involving the Patriots, Chargers and Steelers, it’s more about finding future replacements for their current quarterbacks. Obviously, the likes of Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger won’t play forever, so planning ahead if Murray falls could be wise.
I’d be surprised to see the Buccaneers use their first-round pick on Murray with Jameis Winston still on the roster. But if new head coach Bruce Arians isn’t high on him, then it’s not out of the question. Finally, when it comes to Raiders coach Jon Gruden, if he falls in love with the Oklahoma quarterback, then all bets are off. The NFL has quickly learned (again) that Chucky has no problem making a surprising and head-turning decision with his roster.
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Kyler Murray’s Most Likely NFL Draft Fits & When Each Could Pick Him