SCOUTING REPORT - qb1 Kyler murray, oklahoma

To most football fans, Kyler Murray is the baseball player and MLB-draftee who shocked the world by winning the Heisman Trophy in his one season as a starter at Oklahoma and then shocked the world again by declaring for the NFL Draft amid intense, drawn-out speculation. But within scouting circles, Murray’s story started long before this as the Allen High School product racked up three straight Texas state championships, a perfect 42-0 record as a starter and Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a senior to wrap up a ludicrous high school career. Murray initially chose Texas A&M but transferred out to Oklahoma after a bumpy true freshman campaign attempting to fill a black-hole size hype void left behind by Johnny Manziel. Three years later he finds himself a Heisman & Davey O’Brien award winner, AP Player of the Year, First Team All-American and first round NFL Draft prospect.

PROS

Explosive athleticism. Phenomenal scrambling instincts and enough breakaway speed to be a legitimate big play weapon as a runner at the pro level. Plus arm with surprising comfort and confidence throwing deep sidelines and over the top of safeties. Great touch thrower. Consistently accurate, underscored by a solid grasp of proper ball placement and ball flight on throws. Accuracy, velocity, ball placement and touch hold up stunningly well on deep throws. Exemplary poise and posture in the pocket and a compact and quick release. Passing playmaker outside of the pocket very comfortable throwing on the move. Natural instinct for well-timed momentum plays and good composure in big-game settings. Already advanced at sliding/protecting himself on runs, critical for a dual-threat player of his stature in the NFL.

CONS

Size. No way around it, Murray’s size is unprecedented for a high first round QB prospect. Already had a large number of batted balls in college. Only one full season as a starter since high school also gives him limited experience for a prospect of his caliber. Needs development reading the field and improving the use of his eyes. Can find himself locking on to primary targets and forcing throws into traffic. Also too comfortable settling for jump-ball type scenarios. Prone to the occasional bout of inconsistent accuracy and sloppy mechanics. Although typically quite poised, he was rattled out of rhythm in the first half against the toughest opponent of his career, Alabama.

VERDICT

A rare specimen both in his astonishing college production this past season and his convincing array of talents as a dual-threat quarterback make Kyler Murray clearly the most intriguing QB prospect in this class. But he’s far from a slam dunk. Much like Drew Brees has done over his legendary career, Murray will have to carefully adapt his professional development to maximize his 5’10” inch frame. On the flip side, a franchise selecting him must be prepared to adjust their offense to fit his strengths. Luckily for Murray, this has become much more common in the NFL in recent years and his skill set matches a trend toward more athletically well-rounded, less traditional QBs like Russell Wilson, Mitchell Trubisky, and Deshaun Watson.

PROSPECT COMPS

Russell Wilson

GRADE

Top 10