Kyler Murray is picking up steam in NFL expert circles as the successor at quarterback to Eli Manning for the New York Giants football franchise.
Shortly after Murray declared for the 2019 NFL Draft earlier this week, CBS Sports predicted the Giants would stick at the No. 6 overall pick and select Murray. Just one day later, Pro Football Focus also believes Giants head coach Pat Shurmur will be enamored with what the Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner can bring to his offensive scheme.
In their latest mock draft, PFF has the Giants sticking at No. 6 overall and selecting Murray. However, unlike the CBS Sports Mock Draft, the Giants end up selecting Murray over Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins who is still on the board in the PFF mock draft at No. 6 overall. In PFF’s mock, Haskins ends up coming off the board just one selection later when the Jacksonville Jaguars draft him at No. 7 overall.
PFF is very high on Murray and his NFL prospects. According to their game charting, he was nearly as accurate and efficient as a pocket passer as former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. PFF famously had Mayfield as their No. 1 overall quarterback and No. 1 overall player in the 2018 NFL Draft months prior to him being selected (as a bit of a surprise) by the Cleveland Browns. Here’s what PFF analyst Steve Palazzolo wrote about the Giants selection of Murray in his mock draft.
“OK, here’s where the draft gets interesting,” Palazzolo wrote. “The QB-needy teams are upon us, and there’s a good chance we see movement at the top of the draft come April. The Giants go with Murray who is looking to buck all trends about what an NFL QB looks like from a size perspective. He posted the top passing and rushing grade among quarterbacks in the FBS last season, and the Giants will look to his dynamic playmaking ability to turn around their quarterback position.”
We already know of one Giants player who would be on board with this plan. Giants running back Saquon Barkley believes Murray has a bright future at the NFL level.
“I got to personally play with him in The Opening in high school — I played 7-on-7 with him,” Barkley said, via TMZ. “So, I know what he’s about and I know how talented he is. I think there’s a lot of talented quarterbacks in this class and all of those guys have a great future.”
The NFL is changing and quarterback prospects like Kyler Murray may be a perfect fit for Giants head coach Pat Shurmur’s offensive scheme. Murray’s ability to throw with touch — on the run and within the pocket — while also having the option to pick up a first down with his legs offers any offensive play caller a multitude of ways to scheme up big chunk-yardage plays.
The prospect of Murray on the Giants is certainly exciting. Can you envision the kind of misdirection they can achieve with players like Murray, Odell Beckham Jr., and Barkley in motion before the snap? How about after the snap? What happens when you also factor in the skill sets of Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram? The Giants may have to open their minds a bit on what requirements are necessary for a franchise quarterback in the modern-age NFL. If they can do that, the possibilities are endless with a prospect like Murray.
