Cardinals still have teams guessing days out from NFL Draft
Apr 22, 2019, 11:38 AM | Updated: 12:21 pm
The Arizona Cardinals introduce their new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, middle, flanked by owner Michael Bidwell, left, and general manager Steve Keim, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Only three days remain before the Arizona Cardinals make the first selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, and they still have people guessing who they will pick.
Ever since the NFL Combine, the overall consensus has been that the Cardinals will select Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick, however, some NFL analysts are starting to speculate about their predictions.
Over the weekend, ESPN’s Todd McShay received some news that caused him to check in with his sources again about the Cardinals’ stance on Murray.
“I get a phone call from a general manager … and the first thing he says to me is: ‘Are you sure Kyler one?'” McShay said. “And then I said, ‘Why, do you know something?’ He goes ‘No, I’m kind of hearing some stuff… just make sure you’re sure if you’re going to say that [Murray] is the No. 1 pick.'”
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With that being said, McShay was not the only analyst to be told that the Cardinals may be looking in a different direction. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco changed his pick completely after he reportedly heard that the Cardinals may not select Murray.
“The ownership pushed for Kyler Murray … and the reason they did is they’re having a hard time selling tickets,” Prisco said. “Well, they put [the idea of drafting Murray] out there. Arizona was lukewarm to it, so now, all of a sudden, they are pulling back. From what I’ve been told, they are going in a different direction.”
"From what I've been told, they are going to go in a different direction. They are not going to draft Kyler Murray."
The Cardinals using the No. 1 pick on Kyler Murray? @PriscoCBS says that's now looking unlikely. pic.twitter.com/rUwMU0Ty4H
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) April 21, 2019
Even with Prisco and McShay taking the speculation seriously, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. still believes that there is almost no chance the Cardinals decide to pass on Murray. On ESPN’s First Take, Kiper was asked to put a percentage on the chance that the Cardinals select Murray with the No. 1 overall pick. His answer: “99.9 percent.”
The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. MST Thursday night. As of right now, the No. 1 overall selection is the only pick the Cardinals will be making in the first round.
