Kyler Murray goes to Cardinals with first pick
Oklahoma QB is first player taken in first round of both NFL and MLB drafts
Kyler Murray’s change of heart led him to a historic place in sports history. The Oklahoma quarterback was selected No. 1 overall by the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, making him the first player ever to be taken in the first round of both the NFL and MLB drafts.
“I’m blessed to be here,” Murray said moments after being selected. “I can’t even put it into words.
“I’m ready to go . ... One thing they will get out of me is I’m going to go hard every time I touch the field.”
Murray was the No. 9 overall pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2018 and agreed to a deal that allowed him to play football for one more year at Oklahoma. But after a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign in which he accounted for 5,362 total yards and 54 touchdowns, he opted to pursue a career in the NFL rather than in baseball, forfeiting most of the $4.66 million signing bonus he was set to receive.
The decision gives first-year Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury a catalyst for his newly installed Air Raid offense. While serving as Texas Tech’s coach last October, Kingsbury heaped praise on Murray by saying, “Kyler is a freak. I would take him with the first pick of the draft if I could.”
Nick Bosa, a defensive end, was selected No. 2 by the 49ers, becoming the third member of his family to be taken in a first round of an NFL draft.