2019 NFL Draft: Kyler Murray should see stock rise at Combine

Kyler Murray has reportedly accepted an invitation to the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. He’s got a chance to really elevate his stock there.

Oklahoma’s latest Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback has accepted an invitation to the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. Kyler Murray, one of the most gifted and unbelievable playmakers in college football this past season, has been progressing toward a career as a professional athlete for more than a year now.

Adam Schefter was the first to report Murray’s inclusion on the list of Combine participants.

This isn’t a huge shock, though it’s notable considering Murray has been pretty, let’s call it opaque, when it comes to his future as either an NFL quarterback or centerfielder in baseball.

Though there’s uncertainty about whether Murray will be playing in the NFL or MLB going forward, there’s no doubt about the fact that he’s a remarkable athlete. He plays fast, he throws hard, and he’s deadly accurate with the ball.

The Scouting Combine is going to be a great platform for Murray to showcase himself as an athlete, though the talk of the weigh-ins is going to be his most talked about event. Murray is listed by Oklahoma as 5-foot-10, 195 pounds. He may check in slightly shorter than that without shoes on but his bulk is going to be critical for his measurement.

If Murray measures anywhere under 190 pounds, he’s probably going to get criticized for that. If he checks in at under 5-foot-10, it will be very interesting to see what kind of stock NFL teams put into that.

The biggest issue with guys who lack height at quarterback is whether or not it shows up as a deficiency on tape. For Murray, it doesn’t. It just doesn’t make a difference. It also matters whether a guy struggles with durability or taking hits, or if the quarterback knows how to avoid hard contact, especially when using their legs to make plays.

Russell Wilson does that really well. Murray didn’t have any issues with that, either.

The Scouting Combine is going to be a chance for him to distinguish all of the talk that he’s not a capable quarterback for the next level. It doesn’t matter how tall he is if he can play. He’s proven he can play at the highest level and play well consistently. He put up some strong numbers against Alabama after a slow start.

Murray is a gamer and a very naturally gifted athlete with skills on the football field beyond just physical talent. If he’s serious about the NFL, some team (or teams) in the NFL are about to get very serious about him.