Football fans were excited when they heard that former Oklahoma quarterback, Kyler Murray, was bypassing baseball for the NFL. That meant that fans would get the chance to see one of the most dynamic college football players in recent history work his magic in the NFL.
Now fans just want to know who’s uniform he is going to be wearing.
No one will know for sure until Draft Day rolls around, but that doesn’t mean fans and members of the media can’t speculate. While their fans of several teams that wouldn’t mind seeing him put on their team’s uniform, the consensus has been that he’ll land either in Jacksonville or Miami.
But then new Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury had to go and express his admiration for Murray. That immediately sparked conversations about whether the Cardinals would use the No. 1 pick on a quarterback a year after selecting a quarterback with the No. 10 pick.
Sounds kind of foolish, right? Josh Rosen wasn’t great, but he wasn’t so bad that the Cardinals should be looking for someone new already. Then again, a guy like Murray would be perfect for running the kind of offense that Kingsbury is known for.
However, selecting Murray would be passing on the chance to choose a player that could fill an actual need. Yes, Murray could be great, but the Cardinals just don’t need him. They could, however, use someone like Nick Bosa….
So, will the Cardinals go with Kyler Murray as the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft?
Betway is offering the following odds for who will be the No. 1 pick in the draft this year:
Murray’s odds were longer just a couple of weeks ago (+500). However, his measurements at the Combine have generated a lot of buzz reigniting talk that he could go No. 1. But that would require getting rid of Josh Rosen. Is that something they are even considering?
Eh—maybe.
Nothing has been said directly, of course, but the comments Cardinals general manager Steve Keim made sure make it appear like a possibility:
“Is Josh Rosen our quarterback? Yeah, he is, right now, for sure.”
If you take it literally, Keim spoke the truth. At this time, Rosen is the quarterback. However, if you read between the lines, he could be saying he is our quarterback until we find someone better.
If the Cardinals go with a quarterback, Murray is going to be the one. That means Haskins can be eliminated.
Arizona could also use some help with their defensive front. Bosa, Williams, Oliver, Allen—would all be great choices. Of course, with the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Cardinals get to take the best of the bunch.
Most would agree that Nick Bosa is the best of the bunch.
That means that the choice is going to come down to either Kyler Murray or Nick Bosa.
This will all depend on whether Kingsbury wants to go with Rosen or not. Head coaches often like to go with ‘their guy’ at quarterback. Inheriting one and having to figure out how to make your offense fit his skill set is not something any NFL coach wants to do.
If Rosen were the kind of guy that fits right into Kingsbury’s style of offense, the discussion wouldn’t even be happening. But he isn’t. Could you really fault Kingsbury for not wanting to hamstring himself with a quarterback he doesn’t like?
If he goes with his guy and still gets fired (in time), then he can hold his head and say he gave it his best shot.
Should Kingsbury genuinely want to go with Josh Rosen as his quarterback, then the Cardinals are going to take Nick Bosa with the No. 1 pick. But if they can get a good trade for Rosen before the draft (Jacksonville? Miami?), they will go with Murray.
So—what should you do? Should you go with Murray at No. 1? Absolutely. If Kingsbury is going to be the best NFL head coach he can be, he needs a quarterback that is well-suited for his style of offense.
Murray, not Rosen, is the best man for the job.