Former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray didn't work out at the NFL combine two weeks ago and in the end it didn't matter. Because on Wednesday the Heisman Trophy winner put on a show at his pro day in Norman, Oklahoma, firing footballs all over the field, showing arm strength and accuracy in scripted drills while wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
.@thekylermurray cutting it loose at @OU_Football Pro Day!
— NFL (@NFL) March 13, 2019
📺: Path to the Draft: Pro Day on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/NQe6Nr99gi
All 32 NFL teams were in attendance, though notably, neither Cardinals general manager Steve Keim nor new coach Kliff Kingsbury were there, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. This is newsworthy, at least on the surface, because Arizona has the first-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and despite taking Josh Rosen 10th overall a year ago, the expectation is that the team will take Murray in late April.
But Keim and Kingsbury didn't need to be there because if they're truly interested in Murray they will bring him in for a private workout, where they can determine the drills, the throws they'd like to see him make, and quiz him on Xs and Os much more thoroughly than would be possible at either the combine or a pro day.
Murray stood on his combine measurement of 5-foot-10; he weighed 205 pounds, which was two pounds lighter than his combine weight. He chose not to run, though he spent roughly 20 minutes throwing some 70 passes -- short, intermediate and long -- to current and former Oklahoma wide receivers.
.@TheKylerMurray going DEEP. 🚀🚀🚀
— NFL (@NFL) March 13, 2019
📺: Path to the Draft: Pro Day on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/hxI9q5Xg36
"As far as running, I feel pretty confident in my ability to get out of the pocket and run the 40 and be fast on the field," Murray told NFL Network after his workout. ... "[Today] we just focused on being clean with the [three, five and seven-step] drops and being on time [with the throws]."
By all accounts, the day was a success for Murray.
#Sooners’ Kyler Murray right on track. Checked that box at his pro day. The easy-breezy 50-yarder down the seam was nice. Didn’t run the 40, but he’ll get the Lamar Jackson “plenty fast on tape” latitude from teams. Nothing changed today.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 13, 2019
Kyler Murray’s throwing session was tremendous, but no surprise based on his tape. Big time arm/touch/accuracy @NFLDraft @OU_Football
— Charles Davis (@CFD22) March 13, 2019
.@TheKylerMurray Pro Day has been pretty impressive to watch. He has A+ arm talent and is an “easy” thrower. KM can make a wide range of throws to every area of the field.. Touch, timing, anticipation, drive throws and feathery tosses.. Plus, he’s a A+ athlete.. 5⭐️ player
— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) March 13, 2019
Of course, this isn't the end of evaluation -- we've seen quarterbacks shine at their pro day only to flop in the NFL -- but it allows interested NFL teams to check one more box. There were no major red flags -- no concerns about arm strength or glaring accuracy issues, or shoddy footwork. Murray passed the eyeball test on Wednesday, and his 2018 game tape will only reinforce the notion that he could be not only the first quarterback taken but the draft's first-overall pick.
So does Murray know something we don't? NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah posed this simple question: "Do you already know where you're going [to be drafted]?"
Murray, smiling, offered this response: "I don't. I wish I could tell you but I don't."
When Jeremiah asked if one of the teams he's set to meet with rhymes with "Marizona Mardinals," Murray, now laughing, said, "No, no, no."
Murray was also asked to respond to reports coming out of the combine that some teams weren't impressed with him in interviews.
"I nothing to say about it," he said. "Obviously hearing the news, for me, I know who I am. My teammates know who I am. My coaches know who I am. I enjoy playing this game and I'm a winner. It is what it is. I'm good."
And Murray will be even better in seven weeks when he -- and the rest of the world -- will finally know where he'll be playing in 2019.