Where Kyler Murray Ranks Among Top Dual-Threat QB Prospects in NFL History

The Arizona Cardinals selected Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft on Thursday.

Murray, the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner, completed 69.0 percent of his passes for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns. He threw for 11.6 yards per attempt and rushed for 1,001 yards and 12 scores.

The former Sooner joins a list of dual-threat quarterbacks who dominated the collegiate ranks before joining the pros.

You can find comparisons between Murray and other former dual-threat NFL draft prospects below in addition to the reigning Heisman winner's spot on an historical list.

Note that the ranking is based off their prospects out of college and not their NFL career developments. Otherwise, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson would be far higher than No. 10, for example.

Top-13 Ranking: Dual-Threat QB Prospects Out of College

13. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor

12. Florida QB Tim Tebow

11. Colorado QB Kordell Stewart

10. Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson

9. BYU QB Steve Young

8. Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel

7. Louisville QB Lamar Jackson

6. Syracuse QB Donovan McNabb

5. Texas QB Vince Young

4. Baylor QB Robert Griffin III

3. Virginia Tech QB Michael Vick

2. Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray

1. Auburn QB Cam Newton

Explosive Like Vick, But More Accurate

Todd McShay of ESPN joined the Get Up! show and told host Mike Greenberg that he believes Murray is as explosive as ex-NFL signal-caller Michael Vick, who ran for 17 touchdowns in two seasons and led Virginia Tech to the 2000 BCS National Championship Game:

Vick was an unprecedented collegiate football star, one who can run and throw on elite levels. However, Murray is a better thrower, as Joel Klatt and Cris Carter of Fox Sports mentioned:

Carter said he believed Murray and Vick were also different types of runners, with Murray more like a "punt returner" in open space and Vick operating like a running back.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report compared Murray to Vick on The DA Show on CBS Sports when asked whether he felt the OU quarterback would go No. 1 overall:

"I do. I've never evaluated anyone like him. I've made comparisons to Russell Wilson, but he's so much faster than Russell Wilson. People at Oklahoma will tell you this guy was running in the 4.3s. Russ ran a 4.55. It might be closer to Michael Vick in terms of what kind of athlete he is—and imagine Michael Vick in today's NFL. Not the year 2000, but right now, with it being a wide open game, everybody running four and five receivers, pistol sets, and RPOs. A player like that can be incredibly dangerous with how the league plays now where everybody is fast and the rules favor the quarterback not getting hit. So I think Kyler is coming in at the perfect time for where the NFL is going."

As excellent as Vick was in college and the NFL, his accuracy is not on Murray's level: Vick's best collegiate completion rate was 57.7 percent.

That gives the edge to Murray, although it remains to be seen if the ex-Sooner becomes an NFL game-changer like Vick.

Better Runner Than Steve Young

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports compared Murray to ex-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, who led his team to a Super Bowl XXIX victory.

"Young was an ultra-efficient, frightening dual-threat quarterback at the collegiate level who could win from inside the pocket and could erupt with his legs thanks to high-level athleticism. That is Murray to a T. Young wasn't the biggest quarterback either at around 6-foot-0 and 210-ish pounds. It wasn't until Young landed with the 49ers that he reached his full potential—and became a Hall of Fame signal-caller...I do remember the way he could take over a game with pinpoint accuracy or as a scrambler in the NFL. Murray only showed it for one year in college, but I truly believe he has 'take over the game' type skills as a refined passer and runner. Young was pretty unique. So is Murray."

Young was super efficient at BYU, completing 71.3 percent of his passes at 9.1 yards per attempt during the 1983 season. He threw 33 touchdown passes and added eight more on the ground before getting drafted in 1984.

Young didn't run nearly as much as Murray: The OU signal-caller's 1,001 yards last season almost matches Young's marks during his entire three-year collegiate career (1,084 yards). The comparison makes sense, though, even if Young is a bit bigger.

Check out this video of Young's best scrambling work via NFL Throwback, for example. Like Murray, Young had a tremendous ability to evade oncoming tacklers.

As Trapasso also mentioned, Murray won't have to wait nearly as long to become a starter. Young officially took the reins of the 49ers in 1991, while Murray could be starting for Arizona right away.

Still, he should be ready to roll like Young was in the 1990s if his college tape is any indication.

More Highly Regarded Than Russell Wilson

The natural comparison to make is between Murray and Wilson, especially given their NFL Scouting Combine measurements:

Jerry Brewer of the Washington Post pointed out a key difference between the two when he wrote that "in the modern-day NFL, no man this little has entered the draft process so well-regarded."

Wilson was a third-round pick, and his head coach Pete Carroll sees the comparisons between the two quarterbacks:

The only other Seahawk quarterback to lead Seattle to a Super Bowl (Matt Hasselbeck) said Murray is elusive like Wilson:

Wilson completed 72.3 percent of his passes during his senior year at Wisconsin, throwing 33 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He also rushed for 23 touchdowns during his collegiate career.

Shiftier Than Robert Griffin III

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III threw 37 touchdowns and completed 72.4 percent of his passes during his redshirt junior season. He rushed for 699 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to the 2011 Heisman Trophy.

Former NFL executive and current NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly believes Murray is ahead of where Griffin was coming out of school. Specifically, he told The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., that he thinks Murray is the better prospect, noting that he has "better vision."

"He's got vision," Casserly said. "He sees. That's the thing. If a guy's got vision, then you can work with him. Tim Tebow had no vision. If Tim Tebow had vision, which means he could throw checkdowns and sees guys open, he might have had a chance. But guys would be open, and he's looking and he can't see them."

Griffin also spoke with Dan Patrick of the Dan Patrick Show on a number of topics, including Murray. He praised the 21-year-old and offered some comparisons.

"I'm not as shifty as Kyler," Griffin told Patrick.

"He's not as risky as I was from a running perspective, I was more fearless when it came to taking on hits...no one can tackle him. The kid is too fast and so shifty. He kind of just whips around everybody."