Perhaps no NFL Draft prospect will be more closely examined and scrutinized in the month leading up the draft than former Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.
After a stellar season with the Sooners in which he threw for 4,361 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions while running for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns, Murray turned his back on the Oakland A’s in order to focus on football.
And, if reports are to be believed, it seems the Cardinals are seriously considering taking Murray with the first overall pick in next month’s draft, despite already having Josh Rosen on their roster, who they drafted 10th overall last year.
But, with the NFL being a business first and foremost, the Cards may have no choice but to take Murray. For starters, their new coach Kliff Kingsbury famously said he’d take Murray if he had the first pick. At the time, Kingsbury was still the head coach at Texas Tech. Now, he’s the coach of the Cards and in possession of the top pick.
Kingsbury worked with Patrick Mahomes and is seen as a quarterback guru. Teaming him with Murray could make for an explosive offense, but ultimately, it comes down to marketability. Murray is a name that already draws interest, whether you are a fan of baseball or football. You just want to watch this guy play and see what he can do with his speed and athleticism.
Murray would instantly make the Cardinals a must-watch team, and likely land them at least one nationally televised game simply because of the former Sooner’s draw. He may be a good quarterback, but you aren’t going to hear people saying they have to rush home to watch Josh Rosen play.
Unless Arizona believes that Rosen will ultimately be the quarterback they envisioned when they drafted him last year, they need to make a change and just tear the band-aid off.
New coach. New quarterback. New culture. What’s not to love?
