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NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Redskins end up with a first-round quarterback, go defense in Round 2

By Jacob Camenker

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 10: Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks to throw against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 48-47. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 10: Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks to throw against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 48-47. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 10: Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks to throw against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 48-47. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 10: Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks to throw against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 48-47. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

With the Redskins searching for answers at quarterback, they almost certainly will consider one of the top options in the draft at this point. They may have interest in Daniel Jones, but he’s off the board in this mock. Fortunately, one quarterback is available and they certainly will consider Kyler Murray if he’s on the board.

This is the ultimate boom-or-bust pick. Murray is only about 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10. No quarterback that short has ever really succeeded at the NFL level. The closest comparison is Russell Wilson (5-foot-11) and even he had a thicker build and bigger body of work than Murray did coming into the NFL.

The other concern with Murray is unorthodox and isn’t related to his on-field talent. Murray was the ninth overall pick by the Oakland A’s in the 2018 MLB Draft. He could choose to play baseball instead of football, and it’s unclear what his preference is at the moment. It would seem to be football, given that he has declared for the draft, but any team selecting him can’t be guaranteed that he will play for them.

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In some ways, Murray could control his own destiny and tell certain teams that he doesn’t want to play for them in hopes of landing with another team. That could ultimately hurt him, but he does have the leverage. It will be interesting to see if anything of that nature occurs in the lead-up to the draft.

Of course, Murray still does have a special skill set, and that’s why some quarterback-needy teams will consider him in the first round. He has great arm talent — as evidenced by his baseball career — and possesses great athleticism and scrambling ability. He should be able to make any throw at the NFL level, and if teams can figure out how to scheme around his height, he could lead a dynamic offensive attack as he did at Oklahoma. It’s all about figuring out at what point the reward outweighs the risk.

The Redskins may be willing to take the risk, as their quarterback situation could be upgraded. Colt McCoy is a fine stopgap starter, but he doesn’t have much upside at 31. Meanwhile, Alex Smith is unlikely to play in 2019 and it’s unclear whether or not he will recover enough from his brutal leg injury to play again.

Murray would add youth and upside to the quarterback room, though a legitimate debate would exist about whether taking Murray would be better than waiting on a quarterback from the 2020 NFL Draft. Personally, I would prefer the latter, but I could understand why Murray would appeal to Washington.

It’s also possible that Murray’s height could cause him to slide and a team could trade up at the end of the first round to get him, much like we saw with Lamar Jackson last season. Murray is the biggest variable in this draft class, and it will be fascinating to see where he ends up and what he decides to do.

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