NFL Top 100: Kyler Murray gets comped, Rams have Budda Baker rule

Aug 15, 2022, 8:27 AM | Updated: 8:28 am

Budda Baker #3 and Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals walk off the field following the NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium on December 13, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

BY ARIZONA SPORTS

Arizona Cardinals Kyler Murray and Budda Baker joined teammate James Conner in the NFL Network’s Top 100 list of players, as ranked by their peers.

The back-half of the top-100 rolled out on Sunday evening, with Murray coming in at 57th, ahead of Baker at 67th and Conner at 80th.

While Murray earned a series of comparison’s to an animal and a fictional storybook character in the cutups put together by NFL Network, Baker takes home the award for the coolest fun fact we learned in the exercise.

The Los Angeles Rams apparently have an offensive rule named after Baker.

“We’ve got the Budda rule here where you just want someone to block Budda. Wherever he is, someone make sure you go and block Budda,” Rams receiver Cooper Kupp said of the Arizona safety.

The Budda Rule. Better get used to it.@buddabaker32 x #NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/zhLleH1RcI

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 15, 2022

That wasn’t the only compliment from an NFC West foe for Baker, who posted 98 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions with seven passes defensed last year.

San Francisco 49ers tight end Geoge Kittle spoke on Baker’s shin-level tackling excellence and motor, while Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf and former Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson credited the safety’s controlled aggression in a small package.

“Budda, you’re a little bit smaller than me, man,” said Wilson, “but you bring that punch every play. He’s trying to take your helmet off. He’s trying to blow you up.”

Murray’s highlight package included Detroit Lions corner Amani Oruwariye and Indianapolis Colts coaches comparing him to that little slippery kid in elementary school evading opponents in a game of tag.

“He’s like a little kid,” Oruwariye said. “One play that’s supposed to be dead after 5 seconds and turn into a long scramble play. He’s like that little kid you’re trying to chase on the playground, just like quick twitch, quick feet.”

Murray was also compared to a mouse and the gingerbread man.

But it’s also about the quarterback’s arm combined with his legs. Murray not only has a cannon but can load it up and fire it out in a blink.

“And he has a rocket for an arm,” said Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard. “He’s one of the quarterbacks involved in this game changing it to things we haven’t seen before.”