TEMPE, AZ – NOVEMBER 10: Wide receiver N’Keal Harry #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils carries in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Sun Devil Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. The Arizona State Sun Devils won 31-28. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
If the Cardinals do select Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick, don’t be surprised if the team finds him a big weapon in Round 2.
As the 2019 NFL Draft approaches it appears the Arizona Cardinals are locked in on Kyler Murray as the No. 1 overall pick. That doesn’t mean he’ll be the only weapon head coach Kliff Kingsbury adds to his offense on the weekend. Instead, it’s logical to think the team will look to find a big target for Murray on Day Two.
According to former Arizona State star N’Keal Harry, he’s got a great chance to be that guy. He recently told reporters that there’s “no way” he’ll make it past the No. 33 selection in this year’s draft. That happens to be the Cardinals’ second round selection.
It’s impossible to know whether or not Harry’s right about the way the Cardinals feel about him, but there’s a lot of logic behind the pick. Murray will be one of the smallest signal callers in the NFL. Giving him one of the class’ biggest receivers could really help make up for his lack of stature.
Scouts who doubt Harry’s ability to play at the next level inevitably point to his lack of speed as a limiting factor. The 6-foot-2, 228 pound wideout didn’t run away from defensive backs at the college level, but running a 4.53 40-yard-dash at the Combine quieted a lot of those concerns.
There’s no doubt about his ability to make tough catches in traffic. He wasn’t blessed with great quarterback play at Arizona State, but he still managed to make plays week-in and week-out for Herm Edwards’ team. College productivity isn’t everything when it comes to the draft, but it is something that savvy scouts take into account when grading prospects.
Harry is a particularly interesting fit for an offense like Kingsbury’s that features a lot of formations. While he possesses the size to function as an outside receiver, don’t be surprised if his NFL team tries to deploy him in the slot as well. Playing Harry as a tight end could create really favorable mismatches against linebackers and safeties at the next level.
Even if Harry is wrong about the No. 33 pick being his floor, don’t expect him to languish too long on Day Two of the draft. Wide receivers with his size and ability to make contested catches are a prized commodity in today’s NFL.