For months, the perception has been that the Arizona Cardinals would select former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick. That may not be the case, according to a report from Pete Prisco of CBS Sports.
"Initially, the ownership pushed for Kyler Murray," Prisco said on CBS Sports HQ. "That much I know, I was told that. The reason they did is they are having a hard time selling tickets. Well, they put it out there. Arizona was lukewarm to it. All of a sudden, they are pulling back and from what I've been told, they are going to go in a different direction. They are not going to draft Kyler Murray."
This would change things for the San Francisco 49ers. If the Cardinals select Murray, that would leave the 49ers with their choice of the top prospects in this year's draft class. If Arizona took a player like former Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa, that would still leave San Francisco with other options like former Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams or trading down with a team that seeks a quarterback like Murray.
Of course, the report could be a ploy by the Cardinals to entice another team to trade up. With less than a week remaining until the draft, it is tough to figure out what to believe at this point.
H/t to NBC Sports Bay Area for the find.