Possible Landing Spots For Kyler Murray

Griffin Garcia, Staff Writer

Kyler Murray, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Oklahoma and the first-round pick in the MLB draft to the Oakland Athletics, has made his decision to focus on being a quarterback in the National Football League as the NFL Draft Combine approaches.

In what seems like a weak quarterback class, Murray immediately appears in many scouts’ first-round mock drafts. Here is a list of teams that could look to select Murray in the upcoming NFL Draft.

New York Giants

After a disappointing season which ended in another top-10 pick, the Giants are in a position to fill their biggest position of need, quarterback. Eli Manning has regressed the last few years and bringing in a younger, more explosive athlete in Murray to pair with Odell Beckham Jr. and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Saquon Barkley would benefit a Giants team that ranked 16th in the NFL in scoring.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars’ defense would benefit as much as their offense by drafting Murray at pick seven if he is still available. The Jaguars ranked 31st in the NFL in scoring and have made it public that they will look to move on from former top-three pick Blake Bortles. A year ago, Jacksonville was in the AFC Championship Game and have now fallen into the top-10 of the first round. Murray would provide an offensive spark that Bortles was never able to and would help return the Jags to relevancy.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins appear to be stuck in a state of mediocrity after posting a 7-9 record and could potentially begin looking to move on from Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins pick now sits at 13 and they would likely have to trade up to acquire Murray, which would depend on how much they believe in him. An offense that includes Kenyan Drake, Kenny Stills and potentially DeVante Parker would seem to be much more formidable with Murray at quarterback than Tannehill.

Washington Redskins

After losing Alex Smith for the entirety of the 2019-2020 season, the Redskins could look to add Murray as their quarterback of the future instead of waiting for Smith to return. Should Murray be available at pick-15, he would fit well with 2018 second-round pick Derrius Guice, who missed his rookie season to a torn ACL and add explosiveness to the 29th ranked offense in the NFL.

Dark Horse:

Los Angeles Chargers

Phillip Rivers has had a very decorated career as a member of the Chargers’ organization but has never been able to win in the big game. But Murray has question marks, such as his size and his late commitment to the NFL, which could cause teams to look at other quarterbacks. If Murray is available to be the heir to Rivers after one last year in a Chargers jersey, the front office should take him. An offensive unit of Murray, Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen paired with the strong defense could finally bring them deep into the playoffs.