Kyler Murray has been the flavor of the 2019 NFL Draft since he won the Heisman Trophy last year. Now, questions swirl about his lock on the top spot come Thursday night in Nashville.
The biggest concern or ”red flag” comes from a media wondering if he's really all in on football or if baseball is still number one in his heart.
It's a reasonable concern.
Jason Whitlock on FS1 wonders openly if the options in front of Murray are an issue. The argument that success lies in those players with no where else to go is a logical question.
Murray has issues beyond his baseball option. He isn't necessarily an engaging personality either. Coming out of the NFL Combine, his interviews were reported to be a disaster. That's not to say other players who have come before or will come after haven't had a similar experience. That said, when you're on deck to be drafted first overall, any negative detail will get a lot of press.
Does this mean the Arizona Cardinals won't take the Kyler Murray plunge? According to new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, their options are also open.
”We’re still working on things, ” via Steve Wyche of NFL Media. “It is a process. I wouldn’t say the hay is in the barn.”
If it looks like a smokescreen, odds are it's a smokescreen.
But the idea that maybe the Cardinals have soured on Murray for any number of reasons is interesting. Sports Illustrated MMQ went so far as to do the math in the event he slides out of the top 10. With the Oakland A's still a player, albeit a distant one, the baseball question still looms large. Which brings us back to the ”red flags” in the Murray equation.
Odds are even if Arizona takes a pass, he'll still go in the first five picks, especially with the Oakland Raiders lurking in the fourth spot and maybe the New York Giants (6th pick) and the Washington Redskins (15th) looking to make a move up for a shot at a quarterback. Seldom do red flags matter much to someone like Jon Gruden or Daniel Snyder in Washington.
All said, it's a curious question if Murray has begun to quietly sour teams and could be about to slide down the draft boards on opening night.
But does anyone think he's worried?
Probably not. Especially with a lucrative and guaranteed multi-million dollar guaranteed contract to fall back on.
Murray just doesn't need the NFL, and that's what teams are beginning to realize on the eve of the 2019 NFL Draft.
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