Kyler Murray Second-Year Leap

The expectations that come with being the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft naturally are high. Heading into his rookie campaign, Kyler Murray was certainly no exception. In fact, after a strong 2019 season, the bar has been raised quite high.

The Cardinals’ offseason addition of superstar wideout DeAndre Hopkins has played a key role in Murray’s expectations being elevated. Now, he has an elite No. 1 option to be able to throw to in addition to an ascending player in Christian Kirk and the always reliable Larry Fitzgerald.

The Cardinals’ top three wide receivers are all trending in the right direction ahead of the 2020 season, making the thought of Murray’s potential during the upcoming season all the more intriguing.

“Those are three guys that I think on any team can be a No. 1-type player, even Fitz going in Year 17,” Kingsbury said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “He is so effective at getting open, so savvy in his route running, such an intelligent player that he’s going to get his catches and get his yards each and every week.

“We feel like Christian is really an ascending player. He was having a really big year and got banged up a little bit last year. And then Hop, his numbers and production speaks for itself. … If we got into a deal where we’re throwing it a bunch, yeah, I mean, anything could happen.”

The NFC West appears to be the most difficult division in the NFL heading into the upcoming season. For the Cardinals, they will need their offense to be ready to take a leap forward and the play of Murray will be important in this regard.

If Murray puts up big numbers in 2020, it will be a true testament to his abilities and long-term potential. The inner-division matchups will require excellence to succeed considering each team has real talent on defense. Regardless, the Cardinals’ offense is ready for the challenge.