Just how realistic is Kyler Murray to the Dolphins? This is Mel Kiper Jr.’s prediction

It seems clear that if Kyler Murray follows through on his decision to play football rather than baseball, the quarterback is destined for the first round.

Updated mock drafts have been posted across the internet since the Heisman Trophy winner declared for the 2019 NFL Draft and just about every one has Murray landing somewhere in the first round.

No predicted destination has been more common than the Miami Dolphins and now the most famous Draft guru on the planet is joining the ranks. Mel Kiper Jr. published his first official mock draft of the year at ESPN on Thursday and he’s now part of a growing consensus: The Dolphins might take Murray.

Miami, which holds the No. 13 overall pick in April, could opt to pick a quarterback as a successor to Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins’ oft-injured supposed franchise quarterback. Kiper predicts the Dolphins will do just that and make a splash with the All-American from the Oklahoma Sooners.

“The Dolphins need to rebuild,” Kiper wrote in the mock draft, which is limited to ESPN+ subscribers. “What better way to start that rebuild than to take the Heisman Trophy winner?”

Murray is a bit of a polarizing prospect because of his obvious talent and physical limitations. A former five-star prospect in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2015, Murray spent the past two seasons with Oklahoma after transferring from the Texas A&M Aggies, first backing up Heisman winner Baker Mayfield in 2017 and finally taking the reins last season.

As a junior, Murray completed 260 of 377 passes for 4,361 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns on 140 carries, helping the Sooners reach the College Football Playoff for the second straight season.

Oklahoma’s roster, however, lists Murray at just 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds. Not many quarterbacks of his size have found success in the NFL, which is why playing baseball once seemed like a safer bet. Murray was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft and agreed to a $4.66-million signing bonus with the Oakland Athletics, which he’d have to return if he chooses to play in the NFL instead.

In the NFL, Murray could be a high-risk, high-reward pick with a chance to alter the trajectory of a franchise. Sounds like just the move the Miami needs to make at some point.

“If he goes to the combine — he’s going to run a blazing 40-yard dash — and goes through workouts for teams, I expect him to be picked in Round 1,” Kiper wrote. “This is an unprecedented situation for a 5-foot-10 quarterback, but it’s going to be fun to watch over the next few months.”