The latest mock draft coming from Pro Football Focus has the New York Giants taking Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Heisman Trophy winner had a change of heart in recent days after he originally announced he would pursue a career in Major League Baseball with the Oakland Athletics instead of entering the NFL Draft.
Now that Murray has declared, he becomes the top option for quarterback-needy teams like the Giants, who just days ago were looking at an even shallower class of signal-callers. Murray’s entrance into the draft has immediately created buzz around the promising prospect.
6. New York Giants – Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
OK, here’s where the draft gets interesting. 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.
Murray’s breakout season for Oklahoma included 4,361 passing yards and another 1,001 on the ground, with 54 total touchdowns (12 rushing) to just seven interceptions. While he is undersized, Murray is a freak athlete with a strong arm and great play-making ability. Adding his talent to the plethora of offensive weapons Big Blue has would instantly ignite excitement in the fan base.
Above all else, Murray would be a far cry from the type of quarterback the Giants have had throughout their history, and especially during the Eli Manning era. Drafting the Sooners star would signify a huge shift in the franchise’s future and would create a scenario in which the Giants may have to part ways with Manning.
It’s also possible the Giants could sit Murray for his first season and deploy Manning behind center once again for a team that looks ready to compete now. However, in doing so the Giants leave themselves open to the Manning haters if things go south, as they will undoubtedly be screaming from the rooftops for Murray to take over.
That’s exactly the kind of ending to the Manning era that the Giants would like to avoid.
