Analysis
What Ourlads' Scouting Services said about KYLER MURRAY before he made the Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart: Oklahoma, 5101 207 4.50. Junior entry from Allen, TX. A one year starter after backing up fellow Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. Murray and Mayfield are the only back-to-back quarterback Heisman winners from the same school in college football history. He filled his trophy cabinet with the Heisman, Davey O’Brien, Manning, and Earl Campbell Awards as well as the AP Player of the Year, first-team All-America, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, All Big 12 first-team, MVP of the Big 12 Championship game and was an Academic All-Conference honoree. An outstanding athlete who can win games with his arm or legs. As a former baseball player he is skilled at making throws from a variety of platforms. He has the arm talent to make all the NFL type throws. Plays with confidence and accuracy in and outside of the pocket. Too quick and fast in space for a college defender to tackle him. Murray is an Air Raid system quarterback who is smaller than a prototype NFL passer. In the Sooners’ fast tempo offense, you could count on one hand how many times he threw into a tight window. The Oklahoma receivers were generally open by five yards through scheme or better personnel. That rarely happens on Sundays. Makes as many plays with his legs and feet as he does with his right arm. An elusive scrambler who when he breaks contain can outrun angles. At Oklahoma, Murray had a lot of time to throw and for the most part he played with a clean pocket. Four of his blockers will be on NFL rosters next year. When he was pressured he could buy time with his feet and extend a play. When running the run/pass option series (RPO) he doesn’t like to duck the ball up into the line of scrimmage because he doesn’t like to get hit. With his slender build and bone structure you can understand why. He really struggled with a disciplined pass rush in college. If forced to stay in the pocket, he had sight line problems. The issues will only get worse on the next level after the defensive coordinators build a book on him. He will always struggle to get and keep the offense in a consistent mode. Ball security has been shaky when he runs with the ball held out in one hand. When he gets hit, the ball bounces out. Most of his pitch and catch passes are easy throws. He rarely if ever drives the ball. Murray is accurate in the sense that the ball is close to the receiver, but it doesn’t appear he can put the ball where he wants it to keep it away from the defense. Unclear because receivers are always wide open. The offensive scheme is constructed off of the run game. Oklahoma’s pass offense is basically a five route combination out of a variety of formations. In a confined red zone area many times he will just throw the ball up in a crowd hoping his receivers make a play on it. Rarely has that worked out for him. Not as accurate when pressured. With his different launch points - high, 3/4, side arm, it can be a blessing and a curse. The Sooners run a lot of inside zone and counter sweeps. They have a pass off of every run play. Decision making is inconsistent when under duress throwing into triple coverage or throwing the ball back across the field. The receivers bailed Murray out on many occasions by coming back to him when he was scrambling. Inconsistent to throw the ball away. The 2019 Draft’s most polarizing player created more questions than answers after the Combine and pro day. Competitive athletes love to go out and compete in everything and be one of the “guys”. The elephant in the room is Murray’s size and how he will hold up physically to the bone crunching hits on every play. In college the record setting athlete got up hobbling after most hits. Football is a game of physics and those good old big ones usually beat those good old little ones. The team that drafts Murray might have another Air Raid quarterback on the roster or consider drafting another. There are exceptions to every rule. Murray may be the exception that can break the small quarterback mold. 2018 stats: 260/377, 4361 yds, 69%, 42 TD, 7 INT, 1001 yds rushing, 12 TD, 199.2 QB rating. Did not work out at Combine. First round. (A-28 1/2, H-9 1/2, SS-DNP, VJ-DNP).