The Arizona Cardinals got their guy. After an offseason filled with drama and speculation about what they'd do with the first overall pick, the Cardinals drafted Kyler Murray. They traded away Josh Rosen, cementing Murray as the team's franchise quarterback.
It was a monumental decision that will have massive implications for the organization. General manager Steve Keim and new coach Kliff Kingsbury essentially staked their jobs on Murray. How long they keep their titles will be inescapably tied to Murray's future.
It's hard to predict how any quarterback will transition to the pro game from college, but making huge timely throws is a big part of it. To that end, Pro Football Focus shared a stat recently that showed Murray is more than capable of carrying a team with elite arm talent.
Kyler Murray had the draft class' second-highest big-time throw percentage a season ago pic.twitter.com/6W177Zfe3h
— PFF (@PFF) May 26, 2019
Per PFF, Murray had the second-highest big-time throw percentage of any draft-eligible quarterback last year. It's not surprising, considering Murray was consistently making highlight-reel plays. He was a master at going off-script, regularly improvising, and making impossible throws down the field.
Murray had one of the best seasons statistically for a quarterback in quite some time. He won the Heisman Trophy and nearly carried the Sooners to a national championship. Keim and Kingsbury have put all their eggs in one basket, and now Murray needs to deliver.
Between Kingsbury's unconventional offense and Murray's size, the Cardinals are breaking a lot of norms. No matter how it turns out, football should be very exciting in the desert next season.
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