Murray may end up in Oakland, anyway
Could Gruden have interest in Heisman Trophy winner with No. 4 pick in draft?
At least one expert believes A’s first-round draft pick Kyler Murray could end up playing for Oakland after all.
With the Raiders. Murray, the Oklahoma quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy after being the No. 9 selection by the A’s in the baseball draft, could be a target for coach Jon Gruden at No. 4, according to longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
“You talk about a fascinating player, it’s Kyler Murray, and probably the most fascinating team in this draft for obvious reasons is the Oakland Raiders,” Kiper said during a national conference call Tuesday.
For the record, Kiper has Murray going at No. 13 to the Miami Dolphins in his mock draft. His pick for the Raiders is Michigan defensive end Rashan Gary at No. 4. After Murray passed for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns with seven interceptions and rushed for 1,001 with 12 scores, Kiper has joined the legion of draft analysts and scouts who appear unconcerned about Murray’s physical stature.
Murray is listed at 5-foot10, but may be shorter. He’ll be measured at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, which begins on March 1. His passing ability and athleticism aren’t
in question, and Murray’s skill set translates in an era of spread offenses in a way it wouldn’t have even five years ago. Kiper believes Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins (projected at No. 6 to the New York Giants) and Murray are the top two quarterbacks in the draft. Murray said he will attend the combine, go through medical testing, measuring and meetings with executives, but he has not decided what on-field testing he will participate.
“His arm strength, his accuracy, his football IQ, today’s NFL suits him perfectly,” Kiper said. “Is he the fourth pick in the draft to Oakland? Does he go No. 11 to Cincinnati? No. 13 to Miami? Does he go ahead of Dwayne Haskins? He could. He’s kind of a wild card.”
Haskins is a traditional dropback passer, something more along the lines of Raiders incumbent quarterback Derek Carr. Carr is due a guaranteed salary of $19.9 million this season and made strides last season under Gruden, but Kiper isn’t convinced the two are tied at the hip going forward.
“Does he move froward with Derek Carr, or decide, `Hey, I can get a little bit of an upgrade here and possibility get a guy that can exchange points with (Chiefs quarterback) Patrick Mahomes,” Kiper said.
Although smaller, Murray is a creative playmaker along the lines of Mahomes, and Kiper notes Gruden has long raved about Seattle’s Russell Wilson — another player whose height was a question.
While coaching at the Senior Bowl, Gruden said he had changed his views on what a quarterback should look like.
“I used to say that a lot until I saw Drew Brees twice a year in Tampa, then I met Russell Wilson coming out at N.C. State, and now I’m watching this kid, Murray, coming out of Oklahoma and I’m putting away all the prototypes I once had.”
Murray, an outfielder, was drafted by the A’s, signed a contract with a $4.66 million bonus and then played his junior season at Oklahoma. He announced on Feb. 11 he would play football professionally. The bonus was returned to the A’s, who retain his rights should football not work out.
• Gary, who has been a popular choice to the Raiders at No. 4 given their need for a pass rush, looks the part of a dominating defender at 6-foot-6, 283 pounds.
The physical attributes have not always translated into numbers, however, as Gary had 9 1/2 sacks in 44 games over three seasons at Michigan. He will be watched closely at the combine.
“There is a concern because you’d like to see more dominating plays,” Kiper said. “He’s got to test out as that freak we know he can be and have numbers that are off the charts to maintain that position. He’s one of those guys you expect him to be much more productive from a sack standpoint once he’s in the NFL . . . once he’s in the NFL, any defensive line coach would say, `Hey, give me that guy, I can make him a guy that has big sack numbers.”
With their other two firstround selections acquired in trades for Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, Kiper has the Raiders selecting Washington cornerback Byron Murphy at No. 24 and Florida State edge rusher Brian Burns at No. 27.
Kiper said Murphy is the kind of playmaker Gruden covets, although he could go higher between No. 15 and No. 20.
Burns, at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, is built similarly to Arden Key, the Raiders third-round draft pick a year ago. Burns had 10 sacks and 15 1/2 tackles for losses last season for the Seminoles and had 23 sacks in his three seasons.