When preparing to face Kyler Murray as Texas Tech’s HC, Kliff Kingsbury began with one word:
“Freak.”
Kingsbury also claimed Murray was so “dominant a football player” that he’d “take him with the first pick.”
Almost too conveniently, Kingsbury stepped into the top of the draft as the Cardinals new HC. Here, he stayed true to his word, making Murray the first pick off the board in the 2019 NFL Draft.
This, despite Arizona’s investing last year’s 10th pick in Josh Rosen.
Kingsbury aims to bring his points-factory “Air Raid” offense to the desert, and saw Murray as the perfect engineer. Murray did set the NCAA ablaze, afterall, racking up 4,361 passing yards, 42 TDs, 7 Ints to go with 1,001 rushing yards and 12 TDs operating inside Lincoln Riley‘s Oklahoma Air Raid.
Kingsbury’s long been infatuated with Murray, giving the pick a fatalistic feel. Kingsbury had previously gushed, “I’ve followed him since he was a sophomore in high school…I’ve never seen one better in high school. Just think the world of him and what he can do on the football field.
“I’ve never seen him have a poor outing. Not one, which at quarterback is impossible to do. But he’s done it.”
If nothing else, Kingsbury will have no excuses if this offense flops.
This is especially true after the team stacked an already potent weapons cabinet with even more speed. UMass standout Andy Isabella, their 62nd pick, brings elite 4.31 speed and exceptional quicks to the table. Additionally, the massive 6’5″ Hakeem Butler (pick 103) blazes a 4.48, and can win contested balls.
Nevermind the Cardinals already boasted an All-Pro pass-catching back in David Johnson, who’s rapidly reclaiming his Top-10 Overall Fantasy Value, as well as the ageless Larry Fitzgerald and surging Christian Kirk. Fitzgerald possesses the route savviness, field awareness, and run-after-catch skills to thrive in an “Air Raid” attack, while Kirk can be moved all over and run the entire tree. Kingsbury possesses all the necessary firepower to make his Air Raid attack, and all its “Meshes” and “Four Verticals” a reality.
Simply put: Murray has the arm and accuracy to spray at all levels of the field, and the system and weapons to capitalize. Combined with elite rushing upside, Murray could be a Day One fantasy force. He slides into my Top-15 QBs, with the upside to rise inside a competitive QB1 class with strong camp performances.
