With Josh Rosen in place, Arizona may not bite.
Day 2 of The 2019 NFL Scouting Combine was a highly anticipated day because it showcased quarterbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers. The main story was about one player, Kyler Murray–even though reports came out earlier in the week that Murray wouldn’t be throwing or participating in drills.
The Combine no-show doesn’t mean scouts won’t have an opportunity to see Murray perform before Draft Night. Murray will showcase his skills during his pro day on March 13th.
And there’s a lot to anticipate. The 21-year-old quarterback out of Oklahoma has drawn comparisons to Super Bowl champ Russel Wilson. That’s because Murray excelled last year–with a 199.2 passer rating, 42 TDs, 69% pass completion rate, and a Heisman Trophy.
Murray is the talk of the 2019 NFL Draft. New Orlean’s Sean Payton told the media this week how much he loved Murray’s tape. But with all the hype, the big question is whether Arizona will take Murray with the #1 overall pick. If they do, that means the team will have given up on last year’s first-round pick, Josh Rosen.
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Rosen had a rough rookie debut–throwing 14 picks and 11 TDs for a team that wen 3-10 when he started. But is one season enough to evaluate a young quarterback?
The fascinating thing about the Murray-Rosen comparison is that maturity issues have cropped up with both players. And as we have come to learn, most NFL teams are impatient when it comes to players who have trouble managing themselves.
As for becoming the #1 pick, I think it may boil down to how Murray performs on March 13. ‘How he performs’ won’t be restricted to what he does on the field. It will include an assessment of his professionalism.
That kind of evaluation faces every prospective first-round quarterback pick, whether it be an eventual headliner like Patrick Mahomes or a player who never lived up to his hype, like Jamarcus Russell.
The question now is where Kyler Murray will settle–like Mahomes, Russell, or somewhere in-between?
