PFF gives Cardinals’ Kyler Murray 6th-best grade among 1st-rounders so far
Oct 9, 2019, 3:10 PM
Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals signs an autograph for a fan after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on October 6, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Arizona defeated Cincinnati 26-23. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
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.
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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.
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