New York Jets 2019 NFL Draft Profile: QB Kyler Murray

Here’s the 2019 NFL Draft profile of quarterback Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma breaking down his strengths, weaknesses, video highlights, and draft projection.

A former high school Gatorade Football Player of the Year and three-time state champion out of Allen, Texas, Kyler Murray, who finished off his collegiate career at Oklahoma, is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks entering the 2019 NFL Draft.

Originally committing to Texas A&M, the 21-year-old Murray played his true freshman year for the Aggies in 2015 where he started off as a backup to Kyle Allen. He then, however, earned the starting job and finished the year off with 72 completions, 686 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions in addition to 335 rushing yards and one touchdown.

That December, however, Murray announced that he would be transferring to Oklahoma to continue both his football and baseball careers, but he would be forced to sit out the 2016 season.

In 2017, he served as a backup to Baker Mayfield, who was selected as the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

With Mayfield no longer in the picture, Murray shined in 2018, throwing for 3,674 yards, 37 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while rushing for 853 yards and 11 touchdowns. Following such an incredible season, Murray was awarded the 2018 Heisman Trophy.

Despite obviously possessing strong skills as a football player, however, it was unclear up until recently if Murray would actually be entering the draft, as he was also selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. Late last month, however, he announced that he would be continuing his football career and entering the 2019 NFL Draft.

With that being said, let’s take a look at his strengths, weaknesses, video highlights and if he might be a good fit with the New York Jets.

STRENGTHS

When analyzing Murray’s skill set, his strengths are incredibly clear. He’s a tremendous athlete with incredible speed, elite level mobility, and escapability, also possessing the ability to make a big play with his legs at any given time. Simply put, he’s a legitimate playmaker.

In terms of throwing the ball, Murray is relatively accurate, specifically when it comes to short yardage throws. He also typically uses strong footwork and moves laterally within the pocket well. Some have argued, however, that he could certainly improve his accuracy while remaining calm in the pocket as opposed to using his legs to scramble at the first sign of pressure.

But while his accuracy may need some work, Murray does indeed possess strong arm strength and velocity when throwing the ball. He not only has the ability to throw the ball for distance, but he has the strength to zip passes into tight windows at great speeds. Many also feel as if he has a knack for varying the touch and velocity he puts on the ball given the situation.

And aside from his physical strengths, Murray is known as a strong leader who leads by example and exhibits a strong work ethic day in and day out.

WEAKNESSES

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When looking at Murray’s weaknesses, the first trait that typically sticks out to those analyzing him is his size, as he stands just 5 ft. 10 in. tall while weighing in at just under 200 lbs. Some feel as if his small stature and tendency to run the ball could limit his potential in the NFL, though it hasn’t throughout his career thus far.

Aside from his size, Murray’s decision-making and progressions seem to be his biggest areas of concern. At times, it seems as if he’s had trouble reading the field, which could be attributed to his height. In addition, he tends to predetermine his targets, which leads to him missing targets on various occasions.

And finally, given his elite athleticism and explosiveness, some have argued that he relies too heavily on his ability to run the ball and make plays on his own. This may not work at the highest level and Murray will likely have to further develop his mechanics in order to become a more well-rounded quarterback.

NEW YORK JETS PREDICTION

In any other season, Murray would likely be quite high on the Jets draft board. However, the team finally found their franchise signal caller last year, drafting Sam Darnold with the third pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, meaning they will no longer be looking for a QB.

Regardless, Murray is an intriguing prospect. He clearly has some enticing physical gifts and his playmaking abilities are undeniable, though he does indeed have some areas he can improve upon.

With that being said, it’s also important to note that this year’s draft class is incredibly weak at the quarterback position and Murray is without question one of the best at his position in this draft if not the best.

Given that, his draft position will be determined entirely by which teams are in need of a QB and if they’ll be willing to trade up in order to select him. This will become clearer as the draft nears closer, but it’s expected that Murray will be a first-round selection.