Murray declares for NFL Draft
NORMAN — The message was simple and succinct.
“I have declared for the NFL Draft,” Kyler Murray tweeted at 2:23 Monday afternoon.
But the process has been anything but simple or succinct, and it’s not over yet.
Though Murray has declared for the draft, his choice between baseball and football is not set in stone, though ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Murray intended to “follow his heart to the NFL.”
Murray’s path to this decision began June 4, when the Oakland A’s picked Murray No. 9 overall in the Major League Baseball Draft, surprising many who expected Murray to go later.
Oakland quickly signed Murray, giving him a signing bonus of more than $4.6 million and allowing him to play college football for one more season.
At that time, though, Murray wasn’t considered much of an NFL prospect, and his chances of making more than his baseball contract in the NFL seemed remote.
But Murray quickly not only became a collegiate star with the Sooners but raised his NFL Draft stock.
Murray wound up throwing for 4,361 yards and rushing for 1,001, making him a tantalizing dual-threat option.
As the season went on, Murray started speaking of his future in fewer absolutes than he had earlier.
With the success of smaller quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson and Baker Mayfield in recent years and with Mayfield’s and Patrick Mahomes’ successes this season coming out of Air Raid systems, Murray’s stock began to soar.
In December, ESPN’s Todd McShay said Mayfield would be a firstround pick if he chose football. McShay told The
Oklahoman at the Orange Bowl that Murray would be the first or second quarterback off the board in his opinion.
Listed by Oklahoma at 5-foot-10, Murray would be the shortest starting quarterback in the NFL since Doug Flutie in 2005 if he makes a start in the league.
“I don’t see why it’d be an issue,” Murray said of his height last month. “It definitely motivates you. I don’t need any outside motivation. I’m a pretty self-motivated guy, but as far as people doubting me because I’m small, I’m not the tallest guy. I mean it’s not easy to just come out here on the college level and do what I’m doing.”
When he was in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony in early December, Murray spent some time with Flutie.
“He said just keep doing your thing,” Murray said. “We talked about his part, when he was playing against the powerhouses, when he beat Miami and stuff like that, how the game’s changed, how the quarterback position’s changed,” Murray said then, adding that he wouldn’t share everything the pair discussed.
While Monday’s announcement didn’t seal Murray’s future — all it did is close the door to what was a long shot possibility that he returned to OU — he doesn’t have much time to come to a more firm decision.
Oakland’s position players report Feb. 15, and the NFL Combine begins Feb. 26 with the draft starting April 25.