Kyler Murray’s combine couldn’t have started better, and as his stock rises, so do the 49ers’ hopes of landing the 2019 draft’s top edge rusher. Murray told reporters Friday he’s due to meet at the combine with the Arizona Cardinals, who hold the No. 1 overall pick.
Murray’s size was the topic of much conversation around the lead-up to the NFL combine. A height below 5-foot-9 would’ve been a drastic hit to his chances to be the first quarterback taken despite his electric athleticism. He measured in at 5-10, 207 pounds. His size combined with a dazzling 2018 college performance that earned him a Heisman Trophy have placed him firmly in the conversation to go first overall.
This is all good news for the 49ers, who don’t need a quarterback and pick directly behind the Cardinals.
There’s a chance Arizona’s new head coach Kliff Kingsbury is trying to follow through on comments he made during last year’s college football season. The then-Texas Tech head coach said he’d draft Murray first overall if he could.
Now he has that opportunity. The Cardinals took Josh Rosen No. 10 overall in last year’s draft, but the UCLA product struggled. He completed just 55.2 percent of his throws with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 13 starts. It’s entirely possible Kingsbury wants to start anew with a hand-picked quarterback better suited for his spread system.
The meeting between Murray and the Cardinals could also be a ploy by Arizona to boost the value of the No. 1 pick for a possible trade back. A host of teams picking in the top 15 are in search of a franchise quarterback. Murray appears to have all the tools to be that.
Arizona will want to ensure they get maximum value for the pick if they’re willing to trade out of the top position. Part of that will be at least feigning interest in Murray – including a meeting at the combine.
The 49ers benefits in either situation.
A quarterback going first allows the draft’s top edge prospect, Nick Bosa, to tumble into their lap at the No. 2 pick. That is a dream scenario that now seems more real than ever.
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