Who Should be Drafted First Between Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray?

With Kyler Murray announcing earlier today that he was choosing the NFL over playing baseball, the question is: Should Quarterback needy teams draft him before Dwayne Haskins? They both had solid seasons, won their respective conferences and finished in the top three for the Heisman, (which Murray won). The New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals can all be looking for a new quarterback this year. Haskins and Murray are the top options available and now the question is who will be drafted first. Here is a look at the pros and cons for each quarterback and who will go first between the two.

Kyler Murray

Image courtesy of New York Post.

Last season Murray started at Oklahoma after backing up Baker Mayfield and went on to win the Heisman. He helped lead his team to the College Football Playoff where they lost to Alabama. In his only year as a starter, he threw for 4,361 yards, 42 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He also ran for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns. Murray completed 69% of his passes and averaged 11.6 yards per throw.

Murray has the talent, but his size is against him as he is only 5-foot-11 and weighs 194 pounds. This year only three quarterbacks were 6-foot-1 or smaller and they were Baker Mayfield, Drew Brees and Russel Wilson. Mayfield and Wilson both weigh 215 pounds while Brees weighs 209. That is 21 and 15 pounds respectively heavier than Murray. Murray has reasonable arm strength, but not to the extent as the other three. If drafted in the first round, Muray would be the first quarterback under 6-foot taken in the first round since 1967.  Fortunately for him, he is not afraid to run the ball and can hurt opposing defenses with his legs. But this may not be enough to help him at the next level.

Murray only started for a year so he has limited experience. Despite that, he was able to win the Heisman which will attract certain teams. If Murray can overcome his size at the next level, he will be very successful.

Dwayne Haskins

Everyone rips Stephen A. Smith for calling Dwayne Haskins a ‘runner’ quarterback. Image courtesy of USA Today’s FTW.

Haskins was projected to be the first quarterback drafted this year, but this may change as Murray has fully committed to the NFL. Haskins finished in the top three for the Heisman as he lost to Murray. Last season was his first as a starter and he threw for 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He also ran for 108 yards with four touchdowns. His 4,831 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns were the most by a quarterback last season. Unlike Murray, size is not a con for Haskins as he is 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds with great arm strength. Critics compare him to Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Haskins, similar to Murray lacks experience as they both only started for a year. Despite this Haskins became the first quarterback to throw 50 or more touchdowns since 2013. He completed 70% of his throws while averaging 9.9 yards downfield per throw. Haskins was only sacked 20 times, but would become flustered under pressure and was hit numerous times. He is very accurate and can make tight throws but needs to work on being under center. Overall Haskins will make a team very happy.

Consensus

Haskins is the safer pick, but Murray is a more electric player due to his athleticism. Unfortunately, Murray’s size affects his chance of success in the NFL. Haskins has the size, can  make all the necessary throws and can take the hits. Both have limited experience so it comes down to fit. Murray is more mobile, but Haskins is bigger and more accurate. This alone may make him more attractive to teams.

Prediction: Haskins gets drafted first to the Giants with the sixth pick.

Feature Image From Eleven Warriors.

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