KC Chiefs: Oklahoma Sooner prospects to target in 2020 NFL Draft
Kenneth Murray (Linebacker)
As one who always listened to OU football on the radio, I never got tired of hearing voice of the Sooners Toby Roland say “K-9 puts up the stop sign” for Kenneth Murray (sporting the #9 jersey), who was probably the only player on the Oklahoma defense that could be considered a game changer.
Murray started for the Sooners as a true freshman, recording 78 tackles and one sack and was named Big 12 Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year. In 2018 he started all 14 games once again, recording 155 tackles and 4.5 sacks and was named to the First-Team All-Big 12.
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Murray was a standout defensive player his entire career, but let’s just be honest, he was a standout defensive player in a conference that isn’t exactly known for its defense. Murray’s stats might be considered high for the Big 12, but they would be considered somewhat pedestrian when compared to players in other conferences such as the SEC.
Murray was in the talk as a possible finalist for the Butkus Award, but never even ended up being a finalist. In fact – He wasn’t even Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
When I asked my father about Murray, he responded “Honestly, I don’t think there is a real good argument for taking Murray, especially with a first round pick. This is my feeling about him: I liked him, he was fun to watch, but he would just disappear occasionally. Not just from game to game, but during the game. He wasn’t even the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and was not a Butkus finalist. I think if you’re going to take a defensive player, with a first round pick, he should be dominant.”
That’s straight from the mouth of the truest Oklahoma fan I know. Murray had a lot of splash plays and a good highlight real, but a dominant force that offensive coordinators had to plan for, he was not.
Murray is another player that if the Chiefs could sneak off with him in the third round or below, he could definitely contribute to a Chiefs linebacking core that struggled against the run last season.
I was planning on writing this article all about why the Chiefs should select Murray with the 32nd overall pick, but after doing a little more digging, I’m afraid I just can’t steak anything to that claim and don’t believe it would be the best choice for the Chiefs.
A first round pick is not someone you want to have to develop, or someone who will have to fight for their job, but rather – as my father stated – a dominant player, that can be plugged into the scheme and results will be forthcoming immediately.
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In conclusion, with time in the league to develop and hone their craft, both Neville Gallimore and Kenneth Murray will find success in the NFL. If they were to drop to a later round, it could even be in a Chiefs jersey, but neither one of them is worth a hefty first round pick.
CeeDee Lamb is worth that pick, but there’s little chance that he will be around long enough for the Chiefs to make that decision. In fact – He has a better chance of landing with any of the other AFC West teams than he does with the KC Chiefs.
Next. Mock Draft 4.0: Chiefs Address Offense. dark
Every year I wait for the stars to align and the Chiefs to select an Oklahoma Sooner, but it looks like I will just have to keep waiting, for I don’t believe those stars have aligned that way this season.
Anything can happen in the NFL, however, and we always have former Sooner and Super Bowl LIV champ (and could have been MVP) Damien Williams.