What Kyler Murray’s decision means for the Jets

Kyler Murray has officially declared his intentions to choose football over baseball and enter the 2019 NFL Draft. What does his decision mean for the New York Jets?

The New York Jets already have their quarterback of the future in Sam Darnold but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be keeping close tabs on the top signal-callers in the upcoming draft class. One of those players, Kyler Murray, just made a major announcement that changes the entire landscape of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Murray, who was selected ninth overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 2018 MLB Draft, has officially announced on Twitter his intentions to choose a career in football over baseball. This comes after months of speculation regarding the Heisman Award winner’s future plans which have dominated the headlines as of late.

pic.twitter.com/kGePeWhrId

— Kyler Murray (@TheKylerMurray) February 11, 2019

Again, the Jets certainly won’t be in the market for a quarterback come April so this decision doesn’t directly affect the team. But indirectly it does.

The NFL Draft tends to revolve around quarterbacks and this year isn’t expected to be any different. Despite many draft analysts insisting that this year’s quarterback class isn’t particularly strong, most still expect at least three of four quarterbacks to go in the first round, perhaps even in the top 10.

Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock, and Daniel Jones each look like probable first-round picks with the former two likely being top 10 selections at the moment. Adding Murray to this year’s crop only increases the likelihood of quarterbacks going early in the draft.

That’s where the Jets come into play.

More from The Jet Press

• NY Jets: Why the team should target cornerback Shaquill Griffin
• NY Jets reportedly non-tendering linebacker Harvey Langi
• NY Jets: Why the team should not cut Jamison Crowder
• NY Jets should try to sign Kenny Golladay in free agency
• NY Jets: Jonnu Smith would be a smart free-agent target

There will be plenty of teams looking to trade up to secure the guy they want and the Jets sit in the perfect position to be a potential trade partner. Teams such as the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, and Washington Redskins will all likely be in the market for a quarterback come April and each could look to one-up each other.

Murray could be the most intriguing quarterback prospect in this year’s class and many will likely slot him in as one of the best in the class. As of now, Ohio State’s Haskins is the consensus top quarterback by most analysts but Murray could shake up the rankings a bit.

If anything, the Oklahoma product is just another quarterback that teams may look to trade up for. If the Jets are sitting there with the third pick and Nick Bosa is off the board, their best bet is likely to trade down a bit and accumulate more draft capital in later rounds.

Another potential, albeit unlikely scenario, is that the Arizona Cardinals could take Murray with their first selection. Although it’s certainly a stretch given that they just drafted Josh Rosen 10th overall in last year’s draft, reports have swirled about that being a possibility. If that’s the case, there’s a chance an elite prospect like Bosa could fall right into the laps of the Jets.

Either way, Murray’s declaration is an indirect benefit for a Jets team that will be open for business come April.