Kyler Murray has made his decision. The Heisman winner turned down a $15 million deal from the Oakland Athletics last Monday, tweeting out a very straight-forward, “I have declared for the NFL Draft,” letting the world know about the decision that has shaken the sports world.
I don’t doubt Kyler Murray’s talent, in fact, he may be one of the best athletes to come out of college in quite some time, but what I do doubt is his ability to take hits, and the risk that comes with those hits. Murray is listed at an optimistic 5 “10, 195 lbs., which is by all means undersized for the Quarterback position in which he plays. A direct comparison to Murray that i’ve heard recently is fellow Sooner, and last year’s Heisman winner, Baker Mayfield, who took the NFL by storm his rookie season. While Baker and Kyler play very similarly, and have a very similar skillset, their sizes vary profusely. Opposed to Murray’s small frame, Mayfield has a large, stocky frame, one built for bouncing off NFL defenders. I do not believe Murray’s body can take many hits from big NFL defenders. Murray’s body is much more fit for the baseball field.
While Kyler Murray is known for his Football at Oklahoma, his baseball was nothing to look away at. In his final year with the Sooners baseball team, Murray hit for an impressive .296 batting average, while boasting a high .398 OBP (on-base percentage), nothing to not be impressed with. Murray’s prowess on the diamond is definitely comparable to his football skills, as that strong arm is also able to throw bullets from the outfield, gunning down runners.
Although Murray has elected to go to the NFL, his body may be geared more to the baseball field. Who knows, maybe if football doesn’t work out, he’ll be able to grab a bat, and rejoin America’s pastime. This story hurt me to write. Hook ‘em.
Don’t Reed Into It is a weekly sports column from Talon/TCTV/Sports Network reporter Reed Smith. Any sport, any season, any topic can be part of the conversation.