NFL Notes: Kyler Murray, Draft, Trade Candidates

Kyler Murray

• Peter King spoke to some sources around the league who have said that Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray has bulked up to 206 pounds ahead of the Scouting Combine. 
• King says this is significant for Murray, who has been critiqued for his small stature and build.
• Oklahoma HC Lincoln Riley tells Albert Breer that he felt the whole time that if Murray played well enough were football could be a serious career option for him, he would lean towards passing on the Oakland A’s: “I thought the whole time, depending on how he played and how the year went, if football became a realistic option, that it was at least going to be a decision he was going to [have to] make, it was at least going to be a conversation. And I think probably around mid-season, when you kind of looked back at the first half of the season and see what he’d done, how he’d improved, the way he’d played, I felt like there was a chance he could have a special year and that we could have a special year as a team, and he could really position himself well, so long as he’d keep improving through the year, which he did. I’d say you’re kind of in the moment during the year, but midseason, around our bye week, I kind of started thinking in my mind that he was probably going to have a tough decision to make.”

Draft

• Peter King hears that Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray and Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins are “solid top 10 picks.“
• Daniel Jeremiah tells King that Oklahoma WR Marquise Brown is a DeSean Jackson clone: “I remember scouting DeSean Jackson at Cal, and this is a clone.”
• Jeremiah says that Brown and Ole Miss’ D.K. Metcalf are the only two receivers who definitely look like first-round talents.
• Per Jeremiah, some NFL teams think Houston DL Ed Oliver may have what it takes to play a stand-up role outside like a Melvin Ingram.
• Adam Schefter reports that NFL teams received notice that Florida OT Jawaan Taylor has been evaluated and diagnosed with a mild distal hamstring strain and Dr. James Andrews advised him to not perform at this week’s Combine.
• According to Ian Rapoport, Ohio State DE Nick Bosa will be healthy and ready to participate in all drills at the Combine this week.
• Rapoport reports that Baylor WR Jalen Hurd has informed teams that, with the exception of bench press, he won’t be doing drills at the Combine thanks to a recent minor knee scope. Even so, Hurd plans to work out at Baylor’s Pro Day.
• According to Rapoport, Clemson DE Austin Bryant will not participate in drills at the Combine after undergoing surgery for a torn pectoral muscle last January.
• Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Oklahoma RB Rodney Anderson (ACL) won’t participate in the Combine, but is hoping to hold a personal pro day in April.

Trade Candidates

• According to Jason La Canfora, the Raiders could make veteran offensive linemen Rodney Hudson and Kelechi Osemele available for trade at the Combine this week.
• La Canfora also lists DeSean Jackson, Josh Norman, Everson Griffen, Nelson Agholor and Olivier Vernon as players who could be made available for trade at the Combine.