Here were some of the noteworthy comments from the 2019 scouting combine media sessions Friday, along with some perspective:
"It's a final decision. I'm here. I'm ready to go. I was born a football player. I love this game. There's no turning back. When I made this decision, I'm 100 percent in."
— Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray made clear his commitment to football over baseball and indicated he let the Oakland Athletics know of his decision before he made it public. Murray was a first-round pick in the Major League Baseball draft and almost certainly will become the first athlete to be a first-round pick in both baseball and football.
"For me it's about being with the right franchise, being with the right team and win a Super Bowl. I don't really care how it works out QB1, QB2."
— Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins has plenty of confidence in his ability, but he's not hung up on needing to be the first quarterback taken in the 2019 draft. It's widely expected that it will be either Haskins or Oklahoma's Kyler Murray who will earn that distinction, but Haskins is more concerned about going to the right organization.
"I'm very confident. I feel like I'm the best quarterback in this draft. I would have felt that way if I came out last year."
— Will Grier began his collegiate career at the University of Florida before transferring to West Virginia, where he passed for 7,354 yards the past two seasons with 71 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Grier, who is married and has a 2-year-old daughter, said he didn't understand why some analysts have downgraded his numbers because he played in the Big 12 Conference.
"You put the ball anywhere, I'm gonna go get it."
— Wide receiver Hakeem Butler made his share of acrobatic catches at Iowa State, making great use of his height. He measured at 6 feet 5 3/8 at the combine, which made him the tallest wide receiver on hand. Butler put up big numbers in 2018, catching 60 passes for 1,318 yards (an impressive 22-yard average) and nine touchdowns. He's expected to be among the first wide receivers selected in the 2019 draft.
