Big 12 Football: 3 2020 NFL Draft prospects to watch on Day 1

This 6-foot-2 and 235 pound sure-tackling linebacker, Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray, only played in Norman through his junior season. Murray wound up declaring early for the 2020 NFL Draft after yet another campaign worthy of All-Big 12 honors. He is going to be one of the more highly sought after linebackers in this class.

Who would have thought a Big 12 linebacker from a defense like the Sooners would be getting this much attention early in the NFL Draft?

Murray helped to push an improving Oklahoma defense under former Ohio State defensive coordinator Alex Grinch get over a hump for most of last season. Grinch made the Oklahoma defense more aggressive, and they just got burned less in the secondary. But there were still holes exposed by a few Big 12 teams.

During the 2019 campaign, Murray registered 102 total tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and four pass deflections. He actually raked in well over 300 total tackles and 36.5 tackles for loss in his three years playing for the Sooners. Murray was valuable to their efforts in stopping the ground and passing game too.

At the NFL Combine, Murray tested pretty well. He had put on weight by the NFL Combine (using college measurements at the top of the slide), at 241 pounds by weigh-in. Murray also registered a 4.52-second 40-yard dash time, 129 inch broad jump, and 38.0 inch vertical leap. He didn’t test with the 3-cone drill or shuttle.

Expect Murray to fall off draft boards in the 20’s in the first round tonight.