Denver Broncos: First round options to start taking seriously

Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

As I wrote in a bonus Broncos mock draft earlier this week, Kenneth Murray is a name Broncos fans should become familiar with.

If the Broncos were this close to drafting Devin Bush (LB, Michigan) in the 2019 NFL Draft before trading down with the Steelers, why would they not be interested in a player like Murray?

For whatever reason, Murray — an outstanding athlete with outstanding production — is not being discussed in the same way as Bush and his peer atop the 2019 linebacker class — Devin White (Bucs) — were.

Murray is an elite athlete for his position group. He tested in the 91st percentile in the 40-yard dash (4.52) and in the 96th percentile in the broad jump.

He had a 38.5-inch vertical jump, which somehow ranked in the 87th percentile among linebackers. He has average size at 6-foot-2, 241 pounds, an area that Bush lacked as a 5-foot-11 linebacker, but what athletic trait does Murray not possess that would fit Vic Fangio’s defense perfectly?

On top of it all, his production at Oklahoma was outstanding, especially the last two seasons.

He finished his career with the Sooners with 325 total tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. He was all over the field and his leadership traits are off the charts.

He could end up being the leader of the middle of the Denver defense.