College: Georgia

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 207 pounds

Strengths

Experience:Experience is always a plus when it comes to prospects, Murray being a four year starter is both a comliment and a curse however. Often times when quarterbacks stay in school this long, it means they aren't elite, or aren't going to be on that level. While this is true with Murray, the fact that he stayed in school and was a four year starter is impressive. Although Murray isn't elite, and people will knock him for this, being a four year starter at a top SEC school looks good, if you're looking for a top flight backup/ future player. Face of the franchise or savior? Murray isn't going to be that, but quality back up? Murray can handle that job with ease.

Mobility: The offensive line wasn't always top flight at Georgia, and against some of those dominant defenses in the SEC, Murray needed to be able to run. Often an overlooked part of Murray's game, he's actually very quick and can break a big run if the opportunity presents itself. Murray is sort of sneaky athletic, and looking at box scores you wouldn't know that as his best season total for rushing yards was 186 yards in 2013.

Pocket Presence: Murray has struggled without a super talented offensive line at Georgia, which has led to Murray struggling some in the pocket. He can get nervous and one of his biggest problems is that once bothered, he's off his game until the clock hits zero. What Murray does well is stand in the pocket and deliver the football while also climbing the pocket. Murray took some big hits over the years at Georgia and most come from Murray standing in and making sure to deliver a nice ball to his receivers. When edge rushers come in quick, Murray does a great job of climbing the pocket to avoid them and he doesn't panic.



Weaknesses



Size: Although Murray isn't incredibly small, he is smaller than you'd like in your quarterbacks. He has shorter arms to go along with being average height which leads to a lot of balls being batted at the line of scrimmage. Murray is a bit light for the position as well, which may keep him from taking any sort of beating at the NFL level. Couple all this together, and you have a quarterback that will struggle transitioning, being small and light could lead to a short career.



Arm Strength: A big problem for Murray is that he really lacks the ability to push the ball downfield. If he puts everything he has in it, he can get a decent ball in the air, but even then, they aren't incredibly accurate throws. Murray often delivers the football to his receivers feet, and struggles to keep the ball at a catchable level when throwing to receivers. Few quarterbacks toss the ball into the ground on bubble screens as much as Murray.



Lack of Improvement: A huge concern with Murray is the fact that he never progressed much while at Georgia. Murray never improved in areas like arm strength, or the fact that he gets rattled quickly. His numbers are stagnant through his career and he never really took that "next step" that always seemed like he was capable of. Players need to show that they can improve over the years, and Murray simply didn't, so what would make teams think he can improve in the NFL?





NFL Comparrison: Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs



Smith and Murray are similar in the fact that they're game managers and are supported by the skill players around them. They don't make others better, but they are made better by the players around them. Both players are more mobile than expected, and can be used creatively in the right situations. Both players lack the arm to really push the ball downfield, and need to play in more of a limited offense.





Draft Outlook



Not only is Murray not seen as a franchise quarterback, he's also coming off an ACL injury. Although those injurys aren't as daunting to recover from as they once were. There is a lot to like about Murray, but seemingly just as much to dislike. He isn't going to start right away, and might not start ever. He'll be a sought after backup/project to whoever thinks they can develop him. He's likely to be a third or fourth round pick, expect him in the third as quarterbacks are drafted higher than other positions.





Best Fits

The best fits for Murray are teams that have an entrenched starter and could use a more formidable backup or a project that they hope will pan out in the long term. An easy pick for this would the San Francisco 49ers who have a ton of picks and not a lot of open spots on the roster. One of their biggest needs this offseason is at their backup quarterback spot, where they have newly acquired Blaine Gabbert, and McLeod Bethel-Thompson, they are also likely to add another quarterback to the equation for more competition. Another team that could use a backup behind their entrenched starter is the Detroit Lions, who have a solid quarterback in Matthew Stafford and really lack a backup at all as they only have Kellen Moore who is more of a practice squad player. Stafford hasn't missed a game in three years, but having a quality backup is needed in todays NFL.