Kenneth Murray makes a lasting impression on nearly everyone he talks to.
This held true with Chargers general manager Tom Telesco, who was enamored enough to select Murray at No. 23 overall in the NFL Draft Thursday night.
“There are certain guys in each draft that you just really connect to. We’ve done hundreds and hundreds of formal Combine interviews over the years, and a lot of them run together. ” Telesco said. “His was memorable…. When he walked out of that room, there was a buzz. So much so, I think (defensive coordinator) Gus Bradley would have taken him right then and there if we could have drafted him. He just had one of those interviews you’ll never forget. You could just feel his presence in there. You could feel he’ll have some leadership ability as he gets older. You could feel how much he loves the game and how much he prepares for the game.”
Murray’s story is unique, and one that forged him into the on field leader that Oklahoma fans came to love in his three-year career with the Sooners. He finished with 176 solo tackles and 36.5 tackles for loss in his career.
“This is a run-hit linebacker,” head coach Anthony Lynn said. “He can do the things we need him to do in coverage and also in the run game. He can play in the box, he can play in space. But this man’s intangibles, his presence when he walks into a room – he’s just a natural-born leader and I love that he’s passionate about this game. It just comes through in the interview process that I had with him.”
Murray joined CeeDee Lamb as the only Sooners to be taken in the first round on Thursday night.
The 2020 NFL Draft will conclude on Saturday.