Kyler Murray Fantasy Profile

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Kyler Murray Fantasy

Kyler Murray is a redshirt junior out of Allen, Texas. He was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school and was rated as high as the 13th overall recruit. He was considered the top dual-threat quarterback in the country and the third best player out of the state of Texas. Not only is Murray a terrific football player, but he is also just as good of a baseball player. Murray was an outfielder for Oklahoma’s baseball team and was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft by the Oakland Athletics. Murray excelling at two sports really shows how athletically gifted he truly is.

Measurements

• 5’10”
• 207 lbs.
• Age: 21. Will be 22 when the season kicks off.

Fun Fact

In the lone season of being a starter at Oklahoma after taking over for the former first overall pick, Baker Mayfield, Murray has shown what an amazing talent he is. Despite his size, he was able to put up 4,361 yards passing, 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions on his way to winning the Heisman trophy. While all that is very impressive, what might be most impressive is how well he played on the baseball field. Murray started every game but one on the diamond for the Sooners in 2018. He hit .296 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs. He also scored 46 runs and stole 10 bases. There are obvious reasons the Athletics decided to risk their ninth overall pick and make him their selection.

 

 

NFL Combine Recap

• Did not participate in the combine.

Murray not participating in the combine may have been the best thing he could have done to help his draft stock. He went from being somewhere in the top three of rankings for incoming rookie quarterbacks to all but solidifying his spot as the top quarterback in this class and all he had to do was weigh in. His combine may have received the most buzz around it as well and he didn’t throw or participate in any of the combine drills.

Strengths & Weaknesses

There are many strengths when you break down Murray’s game. The most obvious one is his mobility and athleticism. He has elite escapability. His poise to not panic in the pocket and make a guy miss is outstanding. If you’re playing man coverage against Murray, he is going to shred you with his legs. The second you take your eyes off of him, he’s gone. When you get him outside of the pocket and throwing on the run, he’s the best in this class at doing so. Though, I wouldn’t call his accuracy throwing on the run that tremendous. His footwork is quick and tight. He slides laterally very well. His feet are very active in the pocket. He slides up in the pocket and when he’s going through his reads, his feet follow him very nicely. One thing he does need to get better on, however, is going through his progressions. He has the ability to work across the field and find his man, but too often he would stare his guy down and try to predetermine his throw.

When you look at his arm talent, he’s arguably the best out of all the quarterbacks coming into the draft. Murray has consistent accuracy. He doesn’t necessarily have pinpoint precision like some of the top NFL quarterbacks, but in general, is very accurate. When he is throwing between the numbers, he appears to be very confident in his ability to put the ball in the spot it needs to go. But when he gets to the back shoulder fades, he seems to put the ball too far out there and creates too much of an adjustment for his receiver. His arm strength is explosive. He has a compact delivery and can really drive the ball downfield. He almost makes it appear effortless. His baseball background really contributes to this. Even when Murray isn’t set he can still make a powerful throw down the field.

 

Best Fit: Any QB needy team.

The first team on the clock in the 2019 NFL Draft that is in need of a quarterback should swoop up Kyler Murray. He may even be the first quarterback off the board in general. He should be able to slide in year one and have an impact on whatever NFL team takes him. Obviously, pocket protection is huge in the grand scheme of things, but that’s the unique part about Murray. He has the pocket awareness and mobility to counteract poor offensive lines. With his improvision behind the line of scrimmage, it gives his receivers time to get downfield for Murray to hit them with the big play.

Dynasty Factor

In a standard fantasy football league where there is only one quarterback needed to start, usually, you don’t see quarterbacks go higher than maybe late in the second round. That still is true when discussing Kyler Murray’s draft position in dynasty rookie drafts. But when you dig into Superflex or two-quarterback leagues, Murray should be the obvious choice to be the first overall pick. His playmaking ability and his athleticism alone are some of the best in this draft and traits teams are looking for in this new age of quarterbacks. Add on his tremendous arm and he is arguably the best quarterback in this class.

 

 

 

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