When Kilff Kingsbury was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as their head coach, it almost became a foregone conclusion that the team would draft quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick. The team struggled last season with rookie QB Josh Rosen and Kingsbury has made comments in the past about how much he loves Murray. Last night was the NFL Draft and the Cardinals ended up taking Murray to the shock of almost no one. After being taken by the team, Murray spoke about how excited he is to play for the Cardinals organization and be a part of Kingsbury's system.
"Cannot wait," Murray said according to ESPN. "Me and him have had a relationship since I was like 15 years old. It's something we've talked about for a long time. It's a long time coming. God works in mysterious ways. For me to be playing for him now, it's a surreal feeling."
Kingsbury tried to recruit Murray to Texas Tech when he was a coach there, although Murray ultimately decided to go to Oklahoma. Regardless, the two have maintained their relationship over the years.
"He's always been very fond of me, and I respect that," Murray said of Kingsbury at the NFL scouting combine in February. "I've always never taken that for granted. He's always someone I can go to if I ever need anything. Like I said, it'd be fun. It'd be a great deal if I was picked No. 1."
Now that Murray has been drafted, the Cardinals will have to figure out what their plans for Rosen are since it is believed Murray will be the defacto starter.