2019 NFL Draft: Grading the Cardinals’ selection of Kyler Murray

After months of speculation, the Arizona Cardinals made it official Thursday night with the selection of former Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray as the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

What a great moment to be a Cardinals fan. Murray instantly becomes the face of Arizona’s franchise and will revolutionize what’s become one of the most boring offensive franchises in the NFL. He’ll join forces with new coach Kliff Kingsbury and bring a wide-open style of play to the desert in 2019 and beyond.

Murray, the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner, was the consensus top quarterback available in this year’s draft, but with last year’s first-round pick Josh Rosen still on the roster, there was speculation that Arizona would pick a defensive standout like Nick Bosa or Quinnen Williams with the first pick.

The Cardinals made the right decision. Simply put, franchise quarterbacks cannot be passed up. And Murray presents with a skill set that comes as close to Michael Vick that the NFL has seen since, well, Vick. And that’s rare.

Murray won’t have an easy go at it early in his career considering the poor shape of Arizona’s offensive line and the lacking talent at wide receiver. But his ability to extend plays and break the back of a defense with his legs will make up for most of the Cardinals’ offensive shortcomings.

This was the pick Arizona had to make. Kudos to GM Steve Keim for making the right choice, even if it was unpopular and an admission of his mistake in 2018 with Rosen.

Speaking of Rosen, all eyes will be on what the Cardinals do with him over the next couple of days. He’s still very much in play to be traded and could be a coveted target at the start of Day 2.

It’s pretty obvious what this grade for this selection is: