Anonymous NFL GM: Kyler Murray 'Has Power to Dictate' Team in 2019 NFL Draft

As Oklahoma Sooners star Kyler Murray prepares for an NFL career, he holds power that few prospects in recent memory have been able to possess.

One NFL general manager told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that the dual-sport star may be able to control where he lands in the 2019 NFL draft due to his contract with the Oakland Athletics. Per Rapoport, the GM said Murray could have a valuable bargaining tool with the ability to tell NFL teams, "Don't bother, I'll play baseball." 

Murray was drafted by the A's with the ninth overall pick in last year's MLB draft.

While the initial plan was for Murray to play one final year of football at Oklahoma in 2018 and then focus on baseball, a Heisman Trophy-winning performance last season saw him emerge as a potential first-round pick for football as well. 

In his lone year as the Sooners' starting quarterback, Murray completed 69 percent of his passes for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns. He added 1,001 yards and 12 scores on the ground. Those jaw-dropping numbers, combined with leading OU to a berth in the College Football Playoff, earned him college football's most prestigious individual award.

Questions about Murray's size (5'10" and 195 pounds) persist, but Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller has the Allen, Texas, native as the No. 34 overall prospect. Meanwhile, he is the third-ranked passer in a defensive-heavy draft class.

Murray finally ended months of speculation Monday by announcing he would pursue an NFL career:

And yet, baseball remains an option—or at least gives him some leverage over NFL teams.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the A's aren't giving up on last year's first-round pick just yet. Per Rosenthal, Oakland has always been willing to allow the outfielder to participate in both the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL draft. However, the team could entice Murray to stick with baseball with a major league contract, something that could include more money than any NFL team could offer at this point.

That fallback option gives Murray the ability to pull an Eli Manning during the draft if he so chooses.

For now, both the football and baseball worlds must wait until April 25 to see how the draft plays out. It will be then that Murray has a chance to become the first player ever taken in the first round of both the MLB and NFL drafts.