Without throwing a single pass at the NFL combine, Kyler Murray stood tall — or more precisely, tall enough.
When the official measurements came out of Indianapolis on Thursday, the Heisman winner from Oklahoma and Allen measured at 5-101/8, or a half-inch shorter than what Seattle’s Russell Wilson measured at the 2012 combine.
Yes, he’s short by NFL standards but not so much so that teams will have nagging doubts with the way offenses have evolved.
Call the combine overhyped and a supersized version of an elementary school field day and you’d be right. But it’s also a rite of passage for any player headed to the NFL.
For Murray, it was especially important. For weeks, talking heads had suggested that he would actually measure at 5-8. Or even shorter, like a quarterback version of Tyrion Lannister.
Now, that concern is pretty much removed.
Murray reportedly doesn’t plan on participating in any drills or testing at the combine, according to the NFL Network, but any lingering questions about his arm or accuracy will be answered at Oklahoma’s pro day.
Scouts have reached the stage with Murray where they’re left searching for some sort of red flag. He was remarkably productive last season at Oklahoma, and his athleticism is off the charts. In high school and at OU, he has done nothing but win.
He’s passed the height test and the hand size measurements and is big enough (207 pounds), too. Chatter erupted earlier this week about the possibility of father Kevin being a helicopter parent, but that was quickly refuted by Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley and former OU coach Bob Stoops.
If there is such a thing as momentum in the draft, Murray has it.
More and more, Arizona taking Murray with the first overall pick looks less like connect-the-dots speculation and more of a distinct possibility.
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