Kyler Murray made a splash without doing much and Justice Hill jumped at the opportunity to shine at last week’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
Murray is a former Oklahoma quarterback who turned his back on a Major League Baseball contract worth millions to put his name in the NFL Draft. He could go No. 1 in the draft to the Arizona Cardinals.
Former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, now head coach of the Cardinals, recruited Murray out of high school. Arizona drafted Josh Rosen in the first round last year but Rosen didn’t do well statistically.
The only major concerns about Murray were his height (some worried he would measure under 5 feet 9 inches) and his hand size.
Murray measured 5 feet, 10 1/8 inches – about the same as Russell Wilson, and his hands were 9.5 inches – the average for an NFL quarterback.
There was such a relief at these measurements that Murray decided not to throw or run at the combine, choosing rather to display his skills at OU’s pro day.
And Murray assured teams that he wanted to play football, not pro baseball.
“It’s a final decision. I’m here. I’m ready to go. I was born a football player and I love this game,” Murray said at the combine press conference. “There was no turning back when I made this decision — I was 100 percent in.”
Scouting reports had Hill, a former Oklahoma State running back, as “undersized” and there were concerns about his speed and durability.
Hill may have laid those fears to rest at the combine.
According to NFL.com, “Hill put on a show in a brief but spectacular appearance. He blazed the turf with a 4.40 40 and added some impressive numbers in the broad jump (10-foot-10 inches) and the vertical jump (40 inches). All of those figures ranked first among running backs. Despite cutting the workout after pulling up lame on his second 40-yard dash, Hill left a positive impression on scouts as an explosive athlete”
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein wrote, “Hill is an undersized but excitable runner with a go-go tempo that can work for and against him on any given series. He runs tough along the interior and has the vision and agility to slip tackles, but his lack of size and explosive top-end play speed could work against him. Hill might not have the skills needed to handle third-down duties, so he could be pigeon-holed as a try-hard backup with average upside.”
Former OSU defensive lineman Jordan Brailford ran a 4.65 40-yard dash at the combine. According to NFL.com, “Several schools west of the Mississippi had interest in Brailford coming out of Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School, where he was a first-team all-state pick his senior year (98 tackles, 11 sacks)… Brailford became one of the top playmakers in the country as a junior, garnering first-team all-conference notice after leading OSU with 16 tackles for loss and nine sacks among his 54 total stops.”
OU had eight former players at the Combine.
Former OU kicker Austin Seibert could be valuable because of his versatility. According to Zierlein, “Seibert’s ability to offer value in three kicking departments will certainly factor into how teams view him, but he’s not a full-time punter and he lacks the consistency and 50-plus totals that teams expect from draftable kickers.”
Former OU running back Rodney Anderson, who missed most of last season with a leg injury, didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the combine but he did do the bench press.
Zierlein predicts that teams will be wary of his injury history. “His lack of elusiveness and history of season-ending injuries could force him to earn his stripes early on from the lower rung of a running back depth chart,” he said.
Former OU offensive line Bobby Evans (6-4, 312) ran a 5.2 40 and did 22 bench press repetitions.
Zierlein called Evans “(A) Three-year starter with tackle experience on both sides who plays with excellent core strength, good hand placement and a noticeable nasty streak. Evans is below average as an athlete but makes up for it with upper-body power and solid technique. Despite being under 6-foot-5, his arm length (34 3/4 inches) might convince a team to try him at right tackle before any moves inside. He might be scheme-dependent, but strength and toughness give him a shot at becoming a good backup with eventual starter potential.”
Former OU lineman Cody Ford “offers a rare combination of physical and athletic traits that will have NFL teams dreaming of his upside. He is raw and relatively inexperienced as a starting tackle with exploitable holes that will need to be patched before he can thrive in the pros.”
At 6-4, 329, Ford ran the 40 in 5.21 seconds.
Another former OU offensive lineman, Ben Powers (6-4, 307), skipped the 40 yard dash at the combine.
“Powers has decent play strength and operates with solid technique but lacks the bend and athletic ability teams look for in a starting guard. He could be a backup guard with a chance to work his way up the ladder for a team who values force over finesse.,” Zierlein wrote.
Former OU offensive tackle Dru Samia (6-5, 305) ran the 40 in 5.29 seconds at the combine.
“Vocal leader who has cut his teeth with an Oklahoma offensive line that has dripped with aggression and attitude during his four years as a starter. Samia is a loose-limbed, athletic guard whose foot quickness and second-level agility make him much more attractive as a move guard rather than a base-blocking option,” Zierlein wrote.
Former OU wideout Marquise Brown was invited to the combine but didn’t participate because he had foot surgery in January.
Zierlein wrote, “’Hollywood’ is a skinny, but speedy receiver with game-breaking potential on every snap. His ability to race past cornerbacks and separate deep will require specific coverage and safeties ready to help. His thin frame is a liability when faced with contested catches both short and deep, and long-term durability is a legitimate concern. However, his ability to threaten deep with long speed and short as an elite run-after-catch talent gives him a chance to become the most impactful wideout in this draft.”
The NFL Draft is April 25-27.