The Arizona Cardinals were officially ‘on the clock’ at the start of the 2019 NFL Draft held in Music City as they held the No. 1 pick overall Thursday night. 

After much anticipation and months of speculation, it should come as no surprise that the Cardinals selected Heisman trophy winner Kyler Murray, quarterback from Oklahoma.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury reportedly developed a relationship with Murray that dates back to his sophomore year at Allen High School in Texas.

Murray was a potential recruit who had caught the eye of the Texas Tech coach at the time with his 42-0 start.

“He’s always been very fond of me and I respect that. He’s always someone I can go to if I ever need anything,” Murray said in an interview at the NFL Combine.

Although the Cards could have gone in a different direction, and there was plenty of speculation that they would not primarily because their other first round quarterback, Josh Rosen was still on the Arizona roster.

The decision boiled down to the kind of offense Kingsbury wanted to run and who would fit into that dynamic better.

According to Bob McManaman of azcentral.com, Murray has been compared to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson due in part to his size, standing at 5-foot-10 and his ability to run out of the pocket.

Murray admits his style of the game is patterned to the veteran in his NFL Combine interview.

“Obviously, I look up to him and watching him do it at 5-10 and kind of putting doubters to rest, it’s a good deal,” Murray said.

There are still concerns that need to be addressed such as the strengthening of the offensive line, as any QB will have an issue trying to develop a play.

However, Murray’s speed and agility may allow him more time to avoid a sack and throw the ball out of the pocket, a similar product seen in  Patrick Mahomes.

  Mahomes endorsed his ex-coach in an interview after Kingsbury was fired by Texas Tech in Nov. 2018.

“I’m close to Coach Kingsbury. He really helped my game and helped me as a person a lot. He’s a genuine good person and at the same time a very smart football coach. I know he’ll land back on his feet somewhere else. I’m excited for the future with him,” Mahomes Said.

The need for a quarterback was not a top priority but now that they have both Rosen and Murray on the roster—Rosen’s future appears to be the question in this draft.

Kingsbury explained his excitement for the newest addition in post draft interview.

“He’s a dynamic talent, a unique talent that I don’t know anybody has seen when you talk about that combination of runner and passer and being able to start as a polished pocket passer who can throw from different arm angles and be accurate and throw for a touch and then be able to take off and take it 80 (yards) on any snap,” Kingsbury said.

Murray was just as excited as Kingsbury after the announcement.

“It’s something we’ve talked about for a long time,” Murray said. “God works in mysterious ways. For me to play for him now is a surreal feeling.”

The Arizona Cardinals are first in both the second and third rounds with pick No. 33 and No. 65 unless there happens to be a trade for Rosen.