Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones impress in preseason debuts

Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones gave Cardinals and Giants fans reasons to be excited about their future QBs in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL preseason.

The top two quarterbacks from the 2019 NFL draft each enjoyed an impressive start to their first NFL preseason Thursday night. Kyler Murray, the first overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals, and Daniel Jones, the sixth selection by the New York Giants, both looked very much like they belong.

Murray was poised, calm and in command. The game didn’t look too big or fast for him. The pre-draft comparisons to Michael Vick and Russell Wilson were spot on from a physical standpoint; Murray looked bigger than his measurables suggest.

He finished his night against the Chargers completing six-of-seven passes for 41 yards. He didn’t gain any rushing yards, but his quickness and explosive burst were evident in the pocket. Had it been a regular-season game, we may have seen Murray tuck and run for a few big gains.

Jones, who joined the Giants with much less fanfare than Murray’s greeting by the Cardinals fanbase, silenced his critics with as good of an NFL debut as he could’ve hoped for. He connected on all five of his attempts for 67 yards, including a perfectly thrown 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler.

Beyond the box score, Jones looked every bit the part of the franchise quarterback GM Dave Gettleman lauded him as since the 2019 draft concluded. His processing speed, arm strength and accuracy are all on par with what you’d expect from a blue-chip prospect.

Unlike Murray, Jones won’t begin the regular season as a starter. He’ll need every rep he can get in the preseason to get used to the speed of the NFL, even if it’s still not quite the pace of the regular season.

After one brief exposure, it appears like the Cardinals and Giants both got it right in the 2019 NFL draft.