Raising Zona
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Arizona Cardinals 7-round mock draft, Big-12 only edition

By Avery Duncan

TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 10: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders greets teammates during warm ups to the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on September 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 10: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders greets teammates during warm ups to the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on September 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 20: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks for an open receiver against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 20: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks for an open receiver against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Round 1

Let’s get this straight. I’m on Team Rosen, and frankly, I don’t believe Kyler Murray will be the pick. But, in this fictional Big-12 mock, Murray is the pick, and it isn’t even close, because there isn’t a Big-12 prospect better than him.

Kyler Murray may not be a generational prospect, as he has his share of red-flags including height (5-foot-10), weight (207-pounds), lack of film, and the whole baseball thing. But he’s the best quarterback in this class and has the game to set the NFL landscape ablaze. He also has an irrefutable connection with newly hired head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

Murray’s style of play may not be the most perfect fit for the Air Raid, but he’s by far the best fit for Kingsbury’s offense in this draft class. His 2018 season shows why, as when he played in Oklahoma’s spread, he had a 94.6 Pro Football Focus grade and tallied 4,346 pass yards and 42 pass touchdowns to the tune of a 69.0% completion rate. He also ran the ball for 1,001 yards and something touchdowns, which was the icing on the cake to his Heisman winning season.

Murray has an uber-talented arm that can hit a receiver on any point of the field, which has earned him mini-Patrick Mahomes comparisons. While his running ability and explosiveness have earned him mini-Michael Vick comparisons.

But I don’t see either, because Kyler Murray is one of the more unique players in NFL draft history. He has the arm that most teams dream of and the legs that make running back’s jealous, but his red-flags are undeniable. While Murray may have a higher ceiling than Josh Rosen, I don’t think he has as big of window as Rosen, which is why I don’t truly have him as my No. 1 overall pick.

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