Kyler Murray said he felt “blessed” after becoming the first man selected in the first round of both the National Football League and Major League Baseball drafts.
The Oklahoma quarterback was chosen as the number one overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night.
Last year, the Oakland Athletics made Murray the ninth overall pick in the MLB draft, hoping to persuade the two-sport star his future was as a shortstop, but Murray declared for the NFL draft in January.
Murray excelled at both sports, and though he has relatively little experience in football, playing only one season as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma, he won the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football.
He told NFL Network: “I’m blessed to be here, I can’t even put it into words – it’s a dream come true.
“As a kid growing up, you always dream of being the number one pick in the draft. I’m ready to go. I’m a winner, I love the game.”
Murray’s combination of speed and arm strength make him a potential franchise quarterback, though his undersized frame and particular style will require new Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury to build an offence around him.
Former Texas Tech coach Kingsbury praised Murray while in the college ranks, even prophetically saying “I would take him with the first pick in the draft if I could”, and could use some of the “air raid” concepts from his previous system to ease the transition.
Murray embraced Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley after his selection was announced and it is the second year in succession the Sooners’ quarterback has been taken number one overall, following the Cleveland Browns’ selection of Baker Mayfield last year.
The San Francisco 49ers selected defensive end Nick Bosa with the second overall pick.
Bosa, the younger brother of Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey, boasts the ideal combination of power and length, and is versatile enough to play in any defensive set.
Though he missed the bulk of the 2018 season through injury, he was widely considered the top defensive prospect in this year’s class.
The New York Jets picked defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at number three while the Oakland Raiders sprung a minor surprise with the selection of Clemson defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell at four.
The New York Giants took Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at number six in the hope of finding an eventual successor to the veteran Eli Manning – allowing NFC East rivals the Washington Redskins to pick Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins at 15, addressing a need created by Alex Smith’s long-term injury.
The Pittsburgh Steelers executed the first trade of draft night, vaulting 10 places into the Denver Broncos’ number 10 pick to beat bitter AFC North rivals the Cincinnati Bengals to Michigan linebacker Devin Bush.
Both teams had pressing needs at the position, Pittsburgh due to Ryan Shazier’s spinal injury and Cincinnati after releasing the controversial Vontaze Burfict.
