Kyler Murray declared for the 2019 NFL Draft on Monday, which was not surprising given his own comments recently and reports he prefers football.
I have declared for the NFL Draft.
— Kyler Murray (@K1) January 14, 2019
On the heels of Murray’s announcement, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Murray ” has informed the Oakland A’s of his intention to follow his heart to the NFL, where many project him to be a first-round pick.”
Declaring for the draft would not have caused him to automatically rule out staying with the Oakland Athletics and seeing where things went. All it really did was rule out another season at Oklahoma.
Both the A’s and MLB worked overtime on Sunday to try and convince Murray that playing baseball was the better option for him, even going so far as to allow something that’s previously been against the rules.
He can still play baseball if he wants, but he is determined to play football, per Schefter.
Kyler Murray still can play baseball, if he wants. But he is determined to play football. https://t.co/vwTxiPvlsV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2019
Murray will be a high draft pick in the NFL, and it’s not crazy to think he’ll do better in the coming NFL draft than he was in last year’s MLB draft, when he went No. 9 overall. He’s set to earn a huge guaranteed payday in the NFL and has a unique skill set that not only won him the Heisman Trophy but that also could translate incredibly well to the modern game.