Lincoln Riley: Murray's height 'not a factor for him'
The defining storyline of the 2019 NFL Draft will likely be where quarterback Kyler Murray, who committed to the NFL on Monday, ultimately lands.
But before the draft in April, the Heisman winner will need to ease concerns about his height if he's to cement his first-round status. Murray was listed as 5-foot-10 while at Oklahoma, though some suspect he could be two or three inches shorter.
The NFL combine - set to take place from February 26 to March 4 - will likely determine Murray's fate, but Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley needs no convincing about his former player's ability to perform at the professional level.
"Oh, I think it's just talking about how we used him and how, between having Baker (Mayfield) and Kyler here, (we haven't had) a scenario where we said, 'Well we're not going to run this play or not going to run that play or not going to protect this or like this or that because these guys are 5-10 and 6-foot instead of 6-4,'" Riley said, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. "I mean, it's just never come into the equation with us, and we do quite a bit with those guys.
"I think Kyler is like Baker in that he is short. He's been short all of his life. He's learned to deal with it. It's not a factor for him. We had an NFL-sized offensive line (averaging 6-5, 316 pounds) and played against a lot of really, really good defensive lines. I mean, the guy I think had four or five batted down passes I think the whole season. It's just not much of a factor as much as people would think it is. We've gotten to live that for really the last four years playing with guys would consider short for typical quarterbacks, and it was never an issue for us. I think it's something that will get made a lot of at draft time, and I think Kyler starts playing, like Baker, I don't think it will be a factor at all."
Only five quarterbacks listed at 5-foot-10 or shorter have thrown an NFL pass since 1960, and none below 6-feet have ever been drafted in the first round, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. Russell Wilson, who stands at 5-foot-11, is the NFL's shortest starting QB.
Murray's height might not be a factor for him, but even if he measures in at his listed height, whichever team that drafts him will apparently be taking a historic risk.