Will Kyler Murray justify his number one draft pick status?

The next journey of a future star’s career has officially begun as Kyler Murray was selected as the number one 2019 NFL Draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals, but will he live up to the hype?

The 2019 NFL Draft capped off a pretty amazing 18-month stretch that started with Murray leading his Oklahoma Sooners team to the National Championship in 2018. Murray was actually selected in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s but chose to stick with his football career and the decision paid dividends when the Cardinals came calling last month.

While Murray has yet to step on the field, his hype continues to grow as Cardinals fans look to the success they witnessed last season in Cleveland, as the Browns’ former first overall pick Baker Mayfield proved a brilliant acquisition. That said there are no guarantees that success will follow the first overall pick, as the history with quarterbacks and the number one overall pick has been much like a roller coaster ride – with some having stellar careers and others struggling to make a play at the NFL level.

Since the first NFL draft back in 1936, to the first pick in during the 2019 NFL draft, 32 quarterbacks have been selected number one overall. This includes both Kyler Murray (2019) and Baker Mayfield (2018) who have went with the first overall pick the last two seasons. Over the past five years, four of the last five top overall picks have been quarterbacks. Along with Murray and Mayfield, the list also includes current Pro Bowlers Andrew Luck and Cam Newton as well as two time Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning. All three will be on the field during the 2019 NFL Season while a long line of greats also joins this list.

Those greats include future Hall-of-famer Peyton Manning as well as other members John Elway, Troy Aikman and Terry Bradshaw. While the list is filled with some of the greats to play the position, the list of quarterbacks who have not lived up to the hype is also a concern when drafting a quarterback number one overall. This includes former 2015 number one pick Jameis Winston, who has been up and down since entering the league. Former number one quarterback busts include Jamarcus Russell (2007), David Carr (2002) and Tim Couch (1999).

Now the big question is can Kyler Murray join the list of great quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame, or will he be another name that fails to live up to the hype. For now we will all sit back and wait for the debut of Kyler Murray.