4. Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 241
40-Yard Dash: 4.52 seconds
Bench Press: 21 reps
Vertical Jump: 38 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet 9 inches
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Kenneth Murray was viewed as a three-star recruit coming out of Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas. According to his biography on the University of Oklahoma website, Murray played all 11 positions on the defensive side of the football in high school before settling on middle linebacker. He notched 104 tackles, four sacks and six pass breakups as a senior. Murray entertained offers from Baylor, Texas and Michigan, but chose to head to Norman and the Sooners.
Murray was immediately inserted into the starting lineup as a true freshman, and endured some bumps along the way during his first season. But as a sophomore in 2018 he took a big step forward, tallying a career-high 104 total tackles. Last year was another solid campaign for Murray, as he tallied 78 total tackles and recorded a career-high coverage grade of 80.6 from Pro Football Focus.
Stat to Know: The athleticism that Murray showed on tape was reflected in how he tested at the Combine. He was in the 91st percentile or better in everything but the bench press. Murray’s 40-yard dash was in the 96th percentile among linebackers, his vertical jump was in the 91st percentile, and his broad jump was in the 97th percentile.
Strengths: Murray is a guided missile on the football field. He is a very aggressive player that thrives being down near the line of scrimmage. Oklahoma let him play downhill often, allowing him to be aggressive and attack towards the football. He is stout against the run, with the ability to read designs, blow up lead blockers and stop the play at or near the line of scrimmage. His run fits are generally solid. Murray shows good feel for reading run schemes and fitting into the right gap. He is good in the open field, and does not fall for jukes or hesitation moves from the ball-carrier. He does a solid job of breaking down and getting into position, often in a near-textbook fashion. Murray can be devastating on screen plays, as he is here against TCU:
It is hard to read a screen play better than that (although there is another linebacker in this class who does this just as well. More on him in a moment).
Murray is used often as a blitzer. He can put some shots on the quarterback, and when asked to serve as a pure pass rusher off the edge his speed and athleticism puts him on solid footing against most offensive tackles.
Weaknesses: Scheme fit is going to be a huge question with him. Oklahoma let him play downhill as much as possible, often using him as a blitzer in passing situations. So his ability to play in coverage is a bit of a question mark. He is a bit slower to recognize threats to his zone than others in this class. He does not always get to his landmark when spot dropping. He is slower to get to underneath zones when recovering after play-action fakes. He wants to be playing in attack mode towards the line of scrimmage, rather than working back away from the football in coverage. There is certainly a plus to what he brings to the table, but he might not be for everyone. In their draft guide Pro Football Focus wrote of Murray that his “…success at the next level is going to rely heavily on usage. He’s not Mr. Do-it-all. He’s a hunter in the middle of the field who will limit YAC and make plays in the opposing backfield.” If used that way, he can flourish. If not, well…
Conclusion: Look, there is always a way to utilize someone who is a heat-seeking missile on the defensive side of the football. If implemented as a strong-side linebacker with the freedom to flow downhill as much as possible and just make plays, he can be an impact player at the next level. Think of Jamie Collins. When used properly as such a player, he was successful. But when tasked with making reads and reacting, rather than just playing, he struggled. The NFL can always find a home for aggressive, explosive linebackers, but he might not be the player you rely on to run with receivers or operate underneath in complex zone schemes. At least, not immediately as a rookie.
Comparison: Having just mentioned him, we can roll with Collins. The former New England Patriot is at his best when attacking the pocket and flowing towards the football. Dropping into coverage and making plays in underneath zones was not him at his best.