Nevius: Murray center stage at NFL combine and beyond

Hey, you pundits who predicted that Kyler Murray will be the first pick of the NFL draft - even though it is two months away? We’re calling you offside.

Because nobody knows what’s going to happen with the Heisman winner. He could end up anywhere in the draft, on any team.

Especially now that he’s in football’s silly season, between the last week’s NFL combine and the draft at the end of April.

Out here we’re interested because Murray was the first-round draft choice of the A’s. We thought when we saw him on the field at the Coliseum, he’d be wearing a baseball cap, not a football helmet.

As you’ve heard, Murray issued a fuhggedaboudit statement to the A’s: “They can hold out all the hope they want. I’m going to play football.”

Which, while probably true, I’d take with a small grain of salt. First, Murray had to say something firm and unequivocal. No NFL team is going to use a first-round pick on a guy who says he is “still weighing my options.”

And second, why can’t he come back to the A’s at some point if things don’t work out? It’s the NFL, not indentured servitude.

What we can say is that last week gave Murray a sense of what it is like to be a first-round quarterback.

The NFL combine is a combination livestock auction and high school prom. First the scouts have you stand in your underwear so they can gawk at you. And then there’s a 15-minute interview to reveal the real, inner you.

It is a level of scrutiny that is hard to appreciate.

In his now-iconic February media rant, Kevin Durant referenced the inescapable spotlight. How people read his body language, where he stands during team huddles, and draw conclusions.

Now Murray is getting it. You want to know the difference between being a first-round pick in baseball compared to football? It is 24/7 analysis and commentary.

Last week, Murray was “mocked” (that’s the cool insider term for where you are placed in a mock draft) as both the first choice and the 15th. Some predicted he’d be the first quarterback chosen and some said the third. (Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock were listed ahead of him.)

Then there was an item on the internet that said Murray has one of those overbearing, LaVar Ball kind of fathers. And that caused Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley to take to Twitter to say that rumor “couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Who knows? We can only predict there’s more to come.

And here’s the funny thing about the combine. First, they dazzle you with numbers. They’ve got measurements you didn’t even know existed.

But then, just when the combine-heads are breaking out a spreadsheet to chart hand size, they go all irrational exuberance. A player lights up a drill and the nerds throw the data out the window.

Famously, two years ago, wide receiver John Ross had scouts swooning when he blazed a record 4.22 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The Bengals grabbed him with the ninth pick. He’s still fast, but now he’s also injured, ineffective and trade bait.

Too much information. High-pressure decisions. It is a recipe for over-thinking.

And that’s the problem with Murray. You can pick him, the most exciting player in college football, but you know there’s the chance that he will get injured or won’t pan out.

As former Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson said, “He could put you right in the playoffs, or alternatively, he could get hurt in the second game.”

So people are trying to break his prospects down by the numbers. We haven’t heard so much about someone’s height since Manute Bol played for the Warriors. As we continue to say here, that’s not the real concern for Murray. But let’s look at it.

He came in at 5-10?, which is taller than predicted, but still NFL short. He can overcome that. Other quarterbacks, from Russell Wilson to Drew Brees, have proved it.

The larger worry is that he is too slight. Listed at 195 pounds at Oklahoma, he looked even lighter. And no matter how shifty and fast he is, sooner or later he’s going to get blasted. Can he hold up to the pounding?

Murray came in at the combine at 206, which said two things. He’s stockier than we thought, which is good. And second, he knew this was a concern and put on a good 10 pounds before the combine.

So then attention shifted to the drills. NFL teams demand scary accuracy from their quarterbacks. Running, shotgun quarterbacks are always a little suspect. And now that Murray is heavier, does he still have his speed?

But then - more news! - Murray announced that he didn’t plan to throw or run at the combine, although he was open to changing his mind.

It doesn’t really matter, because he’s staging a “pro day” workout at Oklahoma on March 13. And if you think the combine was a circus, wait until the Kyler Murray show. Everyone with a stopwatch will be there. And they will all have opinions.

Better get used to it, Kyler. This is your new life.

Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stand in a nice, sunny, quiet spot in center field?

Contact C.W. Nevius at cw.nevius@pressdemocrat.com. Twitter: @cwnevius