NFL Quarterback Power Rankings 2020: Patrick Mahomes is head of the class

Kyler Murray didn’t deserve the Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season, but he got in anyway because the NFL loves rewarding quarterbacks. Overall, Murray put together a mediocre rookie season. He deserves credit for winning five games with Arizona’s questionable roster, but he rarely took over games. We should get a better understanding of Murray’s ceiling in his second season in the NFL.

The Cardinals drafted Murray with the first overall pick in 2019. In college, Murray followed in Baker Mayfield’s footsteps by winning the Heisman and finishing with a 12-2 record. In his one year as a starter, Murray completed 69.0% of his pass attempts for 4,361 yards, 42 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. However, it was never a guarantee he’d even play in the NFL.

The Oakland Athletic’s drafted Murray with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. The team reportedly offered Murray up to $19 million in guaranteed money to play baseball, but that payday pales in comparison to what Murray eventually got from the Cardinals. He chose football over baseball.

As a rookie, Murray completed a respectable 64.4 percent of his pass attempts while throwing 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His numbers are uninspiring at a glance, but he should take a giant step forward in Year 2 now that DeAndre Hopkins is a Cardinal.

Murray established a solid foundation as a rookie, but he didn’t flash as much potential as expected. We’ll see if the Oklahoma product can make a larger impact on the gridiron this coming season.