Coveted quarterback Kyler Murray met with Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim and coach Kliff Kingsbury near the Oklahoma campus on Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The Cardinals own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and the Oklahoma product is under heavy consideration as he is viewed as a solid fit for Kingsbury’s offense. Kingsbury is entering his first season as coach after a college stint at Texas Tech.
Arizona took quarterback Josh Rosen in the first round of last year’s draft but the team’s actions involving Murray display a willingness to move on from the 10th overall selection.
Murray is expected to meet individually with other teams during the process leading up to next month’s draft. He worked out last Wednesday at Oklahoma’s Pro Day.
Kingsbury’s infatuation with Murray is rooted in Texas football tradition. Murray went 43-0 as a starter in high school (Allen), was the 2014 Gatorade National Player of the Year and was recruited by Kingsbury before choosing to sign with Texas A&M.
But Murray ultimately transferred and wound up following Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma. With the Sooners, he went 12-2 as a starter and led the team into the College Football Playoff while winning the Heisman Trophy.
Murray passed for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns and added 1,001 yards and 12 scores on the ground.
His NFL stock soared higher after he spurned the Oakland Athletics, who drafted Murray in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft.
The familiarity between coach and NFL prospect is a two-way street.
“I know what type of offense he runs,” Murray recently said of Kingsbury.
“Obviously he recruited me out of high school; I have a great relationship with him. If I were to play under him, I think it’d be a great deal. But again, like I said, I don’t get to pick the players. All I can do is show up where I’m supposed to be, work hard and get after it.”
Murray said he would covet the opportunity to follow Mayfield as the first players from the same program to win the Heisman, then be chosen first overall in the draft.
“To be the No. 1 pick, that’s a kid’s dream come true,” Murray said. “If my name was called No. 1, I’d be ready to go for sure.”
