Pritchard: Kyler Murray worth risk for Cardinals to take him No. 1

In college at the University of Oklahoma, Kyler Murray was able to maneuver around the pocket and make people miss, said Mike Pritchard on Wednesday. He was able to “create time and throw the ball down the field and do all these wonderful things.”

But, the “Pritchard and Cecil” co-host said it seems that when star college quarterbacks enter the NFL those things tend to kind of “go away.”

“The National Football League makes it go away,” Pritchard said. “And, by the way, once you get hit in this league, you’re not going to be doing all that. You’re going to either get down or get out of bounds.”

And it’s that potential for taking a beating that has Pritchard concerned about Murray’s long-term prospects as a pro quarterback.

“Kyler Murray can play this game. It’s got to be a specialized situation. My only reservation, and I’m going to be steadfast on this, is I just don’t know how long he can play this game,” Pritchard said.

But even with the thought that Murray’s 5-foot-10, 207-pound frame may be too small to take an NFL beating for an extended period of time, Pritchard said it’s worth the risk for the Arizona Cardinals to take him with the first-overall pick, as many have mocked, in April’s NFL Draft.

“I just don’t know how long Kyler Murray can last as a quarterback in this league. But, is he worth the risk if you’re Arizona? I think he is,” Pritchard said. “Because you need hype, you need an injection of enthusiasm, excitement for your team, and you need people to go out and buy jerseys.

“You need people to be excited about your team again. And, therefore, I think that’s why Kyler Murray fits with Arizona.”

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.