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Aaron Murray does not get mentioned often in discussions of the best quarterbacks in this year's NFL Draft class. It doesn't help that the talent pool is top heavy, with three quarterbacks -- Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel -- consistently mentioned as potential top-10 picks. Murray has four years of starting experience and prolific college numbers to his credit, however, and at Georgia's pro day Wednesday, he was able to show off his refinement:
Final Murray numbers: 47-54. 3 drops, 2 out of bounds, 1 WR slipped, 1 long
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) April 16, 2014
At face, that looks like a good workout if one credits Murray for the drops while factoring in that he was throwing against nobody. He ran through an exhaustive script graciously provided by one of several reporters in attendance:
Murray's pro day script pic.twitter.com/jifcE4nVlT
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) April 16, 2014
The Macon Telegraph provided footage:
Notably, Murray did not appear to have any trouble dropping back quickly. He tore his ACL last November, but seems to be close to 100 percent even though he opted out timing drills. Murray's passing was reportedly strong despite unfavorable conditions.
Despite a brisk wind, Murray's deep balls haven't fluttered. Pretty sharp despite a few drops about 25 passes in #UGAProDay
— Sanjay Kirpalani (@skirp1) April 16, 2014
Just overheard a scout who walked by when asked about Murray ... "Looked good, good mobility" with a kinda surprised look on his face
— Sanjay Kirpalani (@skirp1) April 16, 2014
Several teams are showing interest. The Kansas City Chiefs are a prominent name of late, having met with with Murray on Tuesday night. There were 23 teams present at Georgia's pro day, according to Seth Emerson of the Telegraph, including the St. Louis Rams (per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch), the Minnesota Vikings (per Master Tesfatsion of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune) and the Dallas Cowboys (per Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas).
Murray may still fall to Day 3 of the draft due to concerns about his size, arm strength and deep ball accuracy. His pro day performance certainly didn't hurt his stock, however. He will look to make an NFL roster as a backup passer next season.