2019 NFL Draft: Grading every first-round pick after rookie year
1. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
2019 Stats: 3,722 passing yards, 20 TDs, 12 INTs, 64.4 completion %, 87.4 passer rating, 544 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs
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As the No. 1 overall pick, Kyler Murray entered the NFL with sky-high expectations and plenty of hurdles to overcome. Despite not exactly being set up for success by the Arizona Cardinals, the Oklahoma alum made the most of his first year in the league.
He had a rookie head coach who was still trying to figure out how to transition his offense from college to the pros. He had a lackluster supporting cast that featured an oft-injured David Johnson and an aging Larry Fitzgerald. The Arizona offensive line wasn’t exactly stellar, and the defense didn’t do him many favors either.
And yet, Murray still kept the Cardinals in most of their games. Sure, the wins didn’t come as regularly as fans would have liked. And yes, the offense was sluggish all too often — especially in the early parts of games. There was plenty of negative throughout the 2019 season, but Murray was usually providing some sort of positive among the chaos.
There’s more work to be done, but Murray’s long-term outlook is still an exciting one. As long as he takes less sacks, makes smarter decisions with the football and has more weapons to work with, we should see the Cardinals’ young quarterback take a huge step forward in 2020.
Grade: B