Sooners QB, A’s top pick Kyler Murray declares for NFL draft

Kyler Murray, the first-round Major League Baseball draft pick and Heisman Trophy-winning Oklahoma quarterback, declared himself eligible for the NFL draft on Monday.

Murray announced his decision in a tweet , ending his brief and storied college career. What’s next for the Murray is not yet known.

The Oakland Athletics made the speedy outfielder the ninth overall selection last June and agreed to $4.66 million signing bonus. The A’s agreed to let him continue playing football, and he made the most of it by winning the Heisman in his only season as a starter for the Sooners. He passed for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns and ran for 1,001 yards and another 12 scores, posting the second-best passer efficiency rating in FBS history.

As Murray dominated, his draft stock improved. Jim Callis, a senior writer on MLB.com, said the A’s couldn’t have foreseen that Murray would be a potential first-round NFL draft pick because of his size. Listed at 5-10 and 195 pounds, Murray would be a small quarterback in the NFL by any standard.

“The primary risk was, what if he gets hurt on the football field?” Callis said, recalling his conversations with scouts before the season. “I don’t think anybody was saying he could be an NFL first-round pick.”

Once the NFL emerged as a potential option for Murray, the A’s took action. Representatives of the A’s and Major League Baseball met Sunday with Murray, and the possibility existed that Oakland could offer more money by putting him on the 40-man major league roster. Even with the A’s efforts, Murray would have a shot at a bigger payday sooner in football.

The NFL scouting combine is in late February and early March and could intersect with his spring training — major league camp starts in mid-February and minor league camp begins in early March. If Murray wanted to participate in the combine, the A’s would need to allow it and it would need to be reflected on his contract.

Murray then had an impressive enough baseball season in 2018 to draw the A’s attention. Callis said Murray is somewhat like a faster version of outfielder Andrew McCutchen.