Scouting Report: Kenneth Murray, ILB, Oklahoma Sooners

The Good About Murray

On tape, one of the big things that stands out about Murray his how much of a downhill player he is. He has a crazy mixture of speed and strength mixed together. He does a phenomenal job of being able to use his speed to either burst through a gap or run from one side of the field to the other. Murray shows impressive strength on his tackles. Even when he may not be at an advantageous angle he still has the strength to bring down the ball carrier. He is always found around the ball. Murray has an impressive nose for the ball and is always helping out on a tackle.

He has shown improvements through the last couple of seasons in his ability to cover the pass. In 2018 he was a liability. In 2019, he showed strides of improvement in his ability in pass coverage. He has a high motor. Murray does not stop chasing the ball, and he does not stop until the whistle blows.

The Bad About Murray

When it comes to weaknesses he has a few that are worth noting. One of his main issues is play recognition. He at times does not make the correct read and flies through the wrong hole completely missing the ball carrier. He can get sucked into play actions and not be as patient as he needs to be when it comes to figuring out plays. Murray can at times be too focused and he loses awareness of what is going on around him. He could do better when it comes to shedding blocks. At times Murray doesn’t use his hands the way he should and can get stuck. He didn’t encounter much of this at his time at Oklahoma but it could definitely be an issue.

Pro Comparison

Rashaan Evans is the pro comparison I have for Murray. Evans is a few years removed from his time in the Draft process. He has a lot of comparisons to Murray. Evans has great lateral speed and can run from one side of the field to the other in seemingly no time. He has a similar strength and wrap-up ability to Murray as well. At the same time, they share some of the similar weaknesses. Evans coming out of college tend to get lost in the wash of offensive linemen. Last season Evans came into his own at Tennessee hitting over 100 total tackles on the season. 

Final Thoughts

I have Murray going in the first round anywhere between pick 16-32. I believe he has the talent necessary to be a first-round pick. Overall, I believe Murray can have a productive and good career in the NFL. His hard-hitting ability and his athleticism should be something that attracts teams. As long as he can learn to be more patient when it comes to discerning which play his happening, he can have a good career in the NFL. His decision making needs improvement in order for him not to get embarrassed at the next level.

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