NFL Rumors: Kyler Murray To Be A First-Round Pick, Raiders Could Consider Quarterback In 2019 Draft

Now that Kyler Murray has announced his intention to play football instead of baseball, NFL teams can consider spending their top pick on him in the 2019 draft. Despite questions about how the Heisman Trophy winner might perform at the next level, the quarterback is expected to quickly make back the $4.66 million signing bonus from the Oakland Athletics that he was forced to relinquish.

All indications are that Murray is headed toward becoming a first-round draft pick. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport spoke with 10 general managers or top decision-makers Monday, and nearly all of them said Murray would go off the board within the top 32 picks.

Even if Murray gets taken with the final pick of the first round, his decision will turn out to be a financially prudent one. Lamar Jackson signed a contract with more than $8 million in guaranteed money after the Baltimore Ravens took him with the last pick of last year’s first round.

There is some debate regarding where Murray will go in the first round. Some mock drafts have him going in the middle or late first round. A few of the executives Rapoport spoke with said Murray could be a top-10 pick.

A few teams that have top-10 picks need a quarterback. The New York Giants at No.6, the Jacksonville Jaguars at No.7 and the Denver Broncos at No.10 are all in search of a signal caller that they can rely on for years to come.

Then there’s the Oakland Raiders, who have the No.4 overall draft pick. It was only a few years ago that the Raiders gave Derek Carr a $125 million contract, and head coach Jon Gruden has publicly supported his quarterback. Oakland, however, has three first-round selections, and it’s at least possible that the team would consider taking the Oklahoma quarterback.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper had the Miami Dolphins picking Murray at No.13 overall in his last mock draft. But the draft expert speculated Monday that Gruden, who has noted that short quarterbacks can succeed in the NFL, might be eying Murray.

“I think Russell Wilson started it,” Kiper said on ESPN (via 247Sports). “I said back when Russell Wilson was coming out that he was going to be a test case. If he makes it big, that height factor is going to go out the window.

“But John Gruden always said, is that much (one inch) going to cause me to pass on a quarterback, that much? And now we’re talking about is he 5’9, 5’10, what is Kyler Murray? The Combine will tell us that. He’s all in on the NFL, now the fun begins.”

One of the four mock drafts at nfl.com has the Raiders taking Murray fourth overall.