2020 NFL Draft: LB Kenneth Murray Scouting Report

Projected Round: Second Round

Motivation and dedication do not guarantee success in the NFL. But motivation and dedication are two prerequisites for becoming a leader on an NFL roster. Murray has enough of both to spare. Wherever Murray lands in the 2020 NFL Draft, he will have all the tools needed to succeed in both his NFL career and in life.

Besides motivation and dedication, Murray has a lot of skills NFL teams are looking for at the linebacker position. While his coverage skills are not his strongest point, they are solid enough that he can play this year, either as a rotational player on a team with a veteran linebacker or learn on the job as a starter.

In the 2020 NFL Draft, several teams will be in the market for new linebacker talent. Based on the results of free agency, the following three teams are the most likely landing spots for Murray this April.

Los Angeles Rams

With the departure of Littleton this offseason, the Los Angeles Rams will require some serious linebacker help between now and the 2020 NFL Draft.

While some teams in the NFL seem to undervalue the linebacker position, general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay literally cannot afford to disregard the position this season. Two divisional rivals in the NFC West use run-heavy offenses.

The San Francisco 49ers “outside zone” running scheme along with the Seattle Seahawks “run-the-first-two-downs-make-Wilson-save-us-on-third” offense are well-regarded in their organization and don’t look to be changing anytime soon.

Not to mention the Rams play the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and New England Patriots in 2020. They all have formidable running backs and will likely feature run-heavy offenses this season.

If the Rams want to make it back to the Super Bowl in the near future they will have to prioritize run defense in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Rams were nineteenth in run defense last season, giving up an average of 113.1 yards per game, according to NFL.com.

Not to mention Snead and the Rams organization blew up their defense this season. Besides Littleton, the Rams said goodbye this offseason to linebackers Clay Matthews and Dante Fowler Jr, along with six of their top eight players in snaps played on defense in 2019, according to Pro Football Reference.

The monster contracts for Jared Goff, Aaron Donald and soon-to-be-paid Jalen Ramsey demand the team cut veteran, dependable players and install a youth movement outside of those three players.

If the Rams want a good, dependable run-stopper with coverage potential, Murray is a linebacker they should seriously pursue in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Rams may be closing the Super Bowl window they had open from 2017-2019. But that doesn’t mean they can’t open another one in a season or two, with a young, rejuvenated defense. Murray would be an excellent value for the Rams in the second round, especially considering they do not have a first-round pick this year.

Philadelphia Eagles

Like the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles seem to be in the middle of a controlled demolition of their Super Bowl core, saying goodbye to Malcolm Jenkins, Corey Clement, Darren Sproles, and many others.

The linebacker position was weak in 2019 with the exodus of Jordan Hicks. But now that linebackers Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nigel Bradham have also hit the old dusty trail, the team requires some serious help in the middle of the defense. Besides being starting linebackers on the defense, both men were key players on the team in a variety of ways.

With this defense facing Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley and Derrius Guice twice a season, ignoring good, run-stopping linebackers is tantamount to defensive malpractice. General manager Howie Roseman may have undervalued the position for years now, but in the 2020 NFL Draft, they will have no choice but to address the linebacker position.

The good news for the Eagles defense is that many of their key positions are now set after free agency. They have a number one cornerback in Darius Slay, a new defensive tackle in Javon Hargrave (on an already deep defensive line depth chart) and have more or less replaced Jenkins by moving Jalen Mills to the safety position.

While their offense will need to be the priority in the 2020 NFL Draft, the linebacker position will have to be addressed at some point also. Murray would make an excellent front seven defender for the Eagles. While defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz would prefer a linebacker with a more fine-tuned coverage skill set, locking down a premier run-defending linebacker this season would set them up for the future in a big way.

Like the Rams, the Eagles Super Bowl core was being held together by string and medical tape. If they introduce a few good rookie defenders this year and hit on two or three offensive players in the 2020 NFL Draft, there is no reason to believe another Super Bowl window couldn’t open right back up for them in 2021.

Las Vegas Raiders

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reported after the Combine that one anonymous AFC coach said their interview with Murray at the 2020 Combine“…was the single greatest combine interview (he) ever had,” and when asked why, the coach replied, “This young man is a born leader”.

AFC. Friendly with the media. Looking for a run stopper in the 2020 NFL Draft. This is 100 percent speculation but this sounds a lot like Jon Gruden. True, this could be said of the other 15 head coaches in the AFC. But the Las Vegas Raiders defense needs a linebacker like Murray and they are in a unique situation to develop him.

They did just sign former Ram linebacker Littleton to a three-year, $36 million contract during free agency this month. But Littleton has always been a coverage expert primarily.

Drafting a linebacker like Murray in the 2020 NFL Draft would make a lot of sense for Gruden. The team is simultaneously in the middle of a culture change and moving to a new host city. Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock are in the difficult position of balancing team needs, building a winning culture while also looking for marketable stars.

They want a roster of home-grown talent, full of leaders. But they also need big stars who will appeal to a new market in Las Vegas, lest they become totally irrelevant in their new $1.9 billion stadium.

With a linebacker like Murray, the Raiders get the best of both worlds. A fan-friendly face who played for a nationally recognized college team, while also having the selflessness and leadership qualities the locker room desperately needs.

Conjuring up the specter of the old “rough and tumble” Raiders blew up in their face last year when linebacker Vontaze Burfict was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season for an illegal hit against Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle.

It started a national conversation about illegal hits in the NFL and why a player with a history like his would be signed to a team, knowing his propensity to make questionable hits. And we don’t even need to get into the Antonio Brown fiasco.

With Murray, they will have the exact opposite of that. A player with leadership skills on and off the field, with the drive and motivation to become one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Plus, they would have a coverage expert like Littleton in the linebacker room, helping Murray iron out his issues in coverage plays.