Kyler Murray could have played baseball professionally. In some ways, it might have been the safe move. Being a first-round pick in Major League Baseball (eighth overall to the Oakland A’s) still calls for a nice payday. However, he likely would have spent a deal of time taking long bus trips at the minor league level.
Instead, he is set to be the centerpiece of the Arizona Cardinals franchise after going first overall in Thursday night’s NFL draft. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Murray became the first person to be drafted in the first round of the NFL and MLB draft.
Kyler Murray is the first under-6-foot QB to ever be drafted in the first round, and he is the first person to be a first-round pick in football and baseball.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 26, 2019
For all the amazing two-sport athletes that came before him (i.e. Bo Jackson and Dion Sanders), Murray is the only one to accomplish the feat. Although he won’t make an attempt at balancing both — smart move — this further displays his athletic versatility.
To say Murray will become the greatest quarterback of all time might be a stretch. But what he will be is a competitor and someone who maximizes fully on the opportunity he’s given.
If his diverse athleticism doesn’t paint the picture well enough, then the fact he’s going to bump out the Cardinals 2018 first-round pick should help solidify the point. As much as new Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury has always been a fan of Murray and was not part of the group that selected Rosen in 2018, it’s a bold move to give up on a quarterback many believed had significant upside.
Murray’s 5-foot-10 build has to be the top concern with the young quarterback going forward. After all, he’s the first quarterback under six feet to be drafted in the first round. But Russell Wilson (5-foot-11) has shown undersized quarterbacks can get by on athleticism and proper game management to not only be among the league’s best but also win the big game, too.
