Cowboys to Interview Stud LB Prospect Before NFL Draft: Report

Getty Kenneth Murray of Oklahoma.

One way or another — face-to-face or, more likely, from a distance — the Dallas Cowboys will get to know Kenneth Murray.

The Oklahoma linebacker, widely expected to be a first-round pick in next month’s NFL draft, is scheduled to hold an official top-30 interview with the Cowboys, NFL Network’s James Palmer reported Wednesday.

A game-changer from the moment he stepped foot in Norman, Murray was a three-year contributor for the Sooners, delivering 176 solo tackles, 36.5 tackles-for-loss, 9.5 sacks and six pass breakups across 40 career appearances from 2017-19. He finished as a highly-decorated, well-polished defender, primed for even greater heights at the next level.

In 2017, Murray earned co-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors after notching 78 tackles and a sack. He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018, having made 155 tackles and 4.5 sacks. As a junior, for his finale, Murray scored a first-team All-Big 12 selection with 102 stops (69 solo, 17 for loss), four sacks and four pass deflections, eschewing his senior campaign.

A rocked-up 6-foot-2, 241 pounds, Murray recorded a 4.52 forty-yard dash time at last month’s Scouting Combine, adding 21 bench-press reps and a 38-inch vertical. He projects as an inside linebacker in the NFL and is considered the second-best LB prospect among the 2020 class, behind Clemson stud Isaiah Simmons.

NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein compares Murray to 49ers star Kwon Alexander.

“Sleek, playmaking linebacker with chiseled frame and long arms,” Zierlein wrote in his scouting profile. “Murray’s game is predicated on speed with an ability to fly around from sideline to sideline rolling up tackles. While his twitchy burst allows him to make more plays than the average linebacker, he will overflow to ball-carriers at times. Recognition of play development and ability to take on blocks are both underdeveloped currently, but a move to weak-side linebacker would put him in position to minimize those concerns and maximize his playmaking talent. Murray has hit-or-miss qualities and is more splashy than consistent, but he’s immensely talented with the ability to imprint on games on all three downs.”

Most mocks have Murray coming off the board in the 15-20 range, ideal for the defensive-needy Cowboys, who own the No. 17 overall choice.

Dallas plans to focus its efforts on replenishing the secondary and defensive line, both areas likely to be impacted by impending free agency. LSU safety Grant Delpit has been a popular dot to connect to the club, but Jerry Jones reportedly wants to create a first-round “splash,” and Murray certainly would qualify.

Nabbing Murray means the Cowboys moved on from veteran LB Sean Lee, who might defect to the Giants, joining old friend Jason Garrett. Lee, who’s already decided to continue playing, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

The choice also should be interpreted as the team hedging its bets on 2018 first-rounder Leighton Vander Esch, whose 2019 season was cut short by a debilitating neck injury, deemed spinal stenosis. Vander Esch has since undergone surgery to repair the nerves in his neck, and Dallas brass has continually expressed confidence in his future, but the safer-than-sorry approach kicks in here.

But there’s a chance the Cowboys never get a shot at Murray. Palmer reported the 21-year-old is drawing interest from multiple NFL suitors, including the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals (No. 8) and Raiders (No. 12) currently pick ahead of the silver and blue.

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