PFF gives Cardinals’ Kyler Murray 6th-best grade among 1st-rounders so far
Time will tell who the best player from the 2019 NFL Draft will be. For now, it’s been evident why Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was the No. 1 overall pick.
According to Pro Football Focus, Murray’s Week 5 grade of 90.4 against the Bengals was an “elite” grade, the first of his career.
He also has a 70.2 grade for the season overall, which is the sixth-highest grade among players selected in this year’s draft.
Being sixth-best in the class might be underwhelming for a guy who was taken above any other draftee, but it’s worth noting that it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison; the five players graded higher than Murray through five weeks of the 2019 NFL season don’t play quarterback, a position where competence is invaluable to a franchise.
Murray’s 70.2 grade fell behind Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (85.6 grade; 24th overall pick), 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa (84.5; 2nd), Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (83.0; 17th), Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns (73.4; 16th) and Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown (70.4; 25th).
PFF went further into Murray’s success in Week 5 against Cincinnati, the Cardinals’ first win of the season:
Altogether, he completed 20 of his 32 attempts [for] 253 yards, three big-time throws and didn’t have a single turnover-worthy play, while he connected on 8-of-15 attempts targeted 10 or more yards downfield and 19-of-28 passes from a clean pocket. As good as he was through the air, though, it was Murray’s work as a rusher that eventually led the Cardinals to their first win of the Kingsbury era. The first overall pick totaled 93 total rushing yards from 10 rushing attempts on the day — and 49 yards from designed runs — picking up three first downs, one touchdown and four runs of 10 or more yards in a game that truly displayed his skillset.
This season, Murray has passed for 1,324 yards on a 62.7% completion rate with four touchdowns and four interceptions. He also has rushed for 206 yards with two touchdowns and 11 first downs.
