Kyler Murray is a potential #1 draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, despite his Heisman performance for the Sooners last season, his critics are alive more than ever during this time of year.
After measuring in at 5’10” and 207lbs, a similar stature to Russell Wilson, at the NFL Combine last week, his results along with rumors about his interviewing skills have been a constant battle between the media and Murray’s agent, Erik Burkhardt.
Burkhardt of Select Sports Group, attacked NFL Network analyst, Charley Casserly for his comments about Murray, which he stated discussions with officials from several NFL teams who told him that Murray “had fared disastrously in interviews conducted during the league’s recently concluded scouting combine”. Casserly said, “These were the worst comments I ever got on a top-rated quarterback, and I’ve been doing this a long time. Leadership – not good. Study habits – not good. The board work – below not good”.
Casserly spent three decades in the NFL as a scout and personnel executive for the Redskins and the Texans.
Murray’s agent, Burkhardt, described Casserly’s comments as “disgusting and embarrassing” as well as took shots at his career as an NFL executive. “When you slander the character and work ethic of a young man who’s worked his butt off his entire life and done everything right to put himself in his current position, you’d better cite your sources and come with a better record than 18-46 as a GM of the Texans and whose own leadership and accountability has been questioned by his old bosses and colleagues, as well as the greatest coach on the planet,” Burkhardt said.
Burkhardt was referring to Patriots coach, Bill Belichick as the greatest coach on the planet after Belichick criticized Casserly in 2010 when he said, “Who’s been wrong more than Charley Casserly since he left the Redskins? His percentage is like a meteorologist.”
Although Murray’s size has been questioned around the league, Burkhardt received positive feedback about his client’s meetings with NFL teams. He spoke to executives who “sat in on eight of Kyler’s 10 formal combine interviews,” and “all of them were extremely positive about his entire interviews.”
In addition to Casserly’s criticism, Dan Patrick suggested that Murray’s listed height may have been “inflated”. Patrick interviewed Murray’s former coach, Lincoln Riley, who was upset with the recent criticism and said, “I just hate that people go out and make these comments and they never even talked to the two people who’ve actually coached this kid. I know Kyler met with a lot of teams at the combine, and I personally have spoken with the majority of the teams he met with, and every one of them were glowing in their reports about Kyler – basically the complete opposite of what Charley threw out there.”
Despite the critics, Murray continues to show NFL teams, specifically the Arizona Cardinals why he should to be the #1 overall draft pick and their future franchise quarterback after an impressive Pro Day performance in Norman displaying his unique athleticism and excellent ball placement on all levels of the field.