Kyler shrugs off hype for rookie year: 'I don't feel pressure'

The expectations for a No. 1 overall pick are enormous, and in the wake of Baker Mayfield's immediate success, Kyler Murray is arguably facing the most hype for a rookie quarterback in recent memory.

But if the weight of being the first player selected in April's NFL draft is getting to the Arizona Cardinals quarterback, he isn't letting it show.

"I don't feel pressure," Murray said, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.

However, the Heisman winner knows that despite his carefree outlook, criticism is inevitable if he doesn't live up to expectations in his first season.

"I got to go out and play well," Murray said. "And if I don't, then people are gonna be mad, I'm gonna be mad, everybody's gonna be mad. So, my focus is (to) play well."

Murray said he's looking forward to his first NFL action in Thursday's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers so he can "get a feel for the game and let it rip a little."

The huge leap of in-game speed from college to the NFL can intimidate some passers. Murray, however, is salivating over the challenge.

"I think that's probably one of the biggest adjustments ... windows are tighter," Murray said. "You got to anticipate things a lot more. But that makes it fun. College, you know, dudes would be wide open. It'd be really easy stuff like that. It's part of being in the NFL."

Copyright (C) 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.