Oklahoma Sooners’ quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray is entering the 2019 NFL Draft. Murray announced his decision on Monday through social media, writing: “I have declared for the NFL Draft.” on his official Twitter profile.
This, of course, wouldn’t be anything strange if it was any other college football player. But in Murray’s case, things are a bit different since the 21-year-old was already poised for baseball career, being drafted ninth overall in the 2018 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics and signing a contract with the team.
Kyler Murray’s decision to enter the NFL Draft, however, doesn’t mean that he has given up on baseball. He can use the football career as leverage in negotiating a bigger contract with the Athletics, who already explored the possibility of giving him more money. According to ESPN, Oakland received a permission from MLB to give Murray a major league contract, although he would start his career in their affiliate High-A Stockton.
The 2018 season was the first one for Kyler Murray as Sooners’ starting QB and he managed to use the opportunity in full. He finished the year with 4,361 passing yards and 42 touchdowns while also adding 1,001 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. While these numbers would propel the most other players to a first-round draft selection, NFL teams are a bit skeptical about how Murray’s game would translate to the pros due to his small stature.
Murray is only 5 ft 10 in tall, and he would be the shortest QB in NFL since Doug Flutie, who was around the same height. Still, Flutie ended up spending 11 years in the league and earning a Pro Bowl honors, so some desperate teams might end up spending a lower draft pick on Sooners’ prospect.
