On night 1 of this year’s NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals made a move that was fairly polarizing. They traded the 23rd overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens for the 100th pick and rising star Wide Receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. This came as a bit of a surprise, as Brown was coming off of a 1,000 yard receiving yard season and had seemed to establish a good connection with Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson. However, whatever connection they built is almost certainly shadowed by the connection Brown is entering into in Arizona. Brown’s new Quarterback, Kyler Murray, is not all that new for the speedster. Brown was the primary target for Murray during the latter’s 2018 Heisman winning season at Oklahoma. That season, and the connection between the two players, is worth revisiting as we head into the 2022 NFL season.
The 2018 Oklahoma Sooners
The 2018 season was a special one for the Sooners. Coming off of a Heisman winning season by the newest Carolina Panther, Baker Mayfield, Murray had big shoes to fill. And for a Quarterback that many consider to be undersized, he more than filled those shoes. Murray threw for 4361 yards and 42 touchdowns across with an efficient 69% completion percentage to boot. Perhaps even more impressive was Murray’s contributions on the ground. He account for 1001 yards on the ground, as well as 12 touchdowns. In all, Murray accounted for 5362 yards and 54 touchdowns. He followed up Mayfield’s Heisman trophy winning season with a Heisman trophy winning season of his own. Of course, he needed some talent at the wideout position to make sure he came away with the honor.
Hollywood Brown posted 1095 yards and 7 touchdowns across 57 catches as a Sophomore in 2017, so he was already an established part of the offense. However, the rapport he built with Murray in 2018 proved to be stronger than the one he shared with Mayfield. Brown caught 75 passes from Murray, which totaled 1318 yards and 10 touchdowns in his Junior year. This production, along with his blazing speed resulted in him being selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 25th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. Of course, it is now known that the Arizona Cardinals tried to move back into the 1st round so they could pair Brown with the man they selected 1st overall: Kyler Murray. Now, three years later, Cardinals GM Steve Keim is able to put his vision out on the field for the 2022 season.
The 2022 Arizona Cardinals
As previously mentioned, Hollywood Brown is coming off of his most productive season in 2021. Additionally, Murray is coming off of a productive season that was hampered by an ankle injury, but that also resulted in his first trip to the postseason. Brown is coming into a team looking to build off of a promising yet ultimately disappointing season. And for at least the 1st six games of the season, Brown may be the primary focus in the receiving game. Superstar Cardinals Wide Receiver DeAndre Hopkins won’t be eligible to play until week seven due to a suspension. This means Murray will have to rely on Brown, along with 2nd year Swiss army knife Rondale Moore as well as rookie Tight End Trey McBride.
The speedy Brown will most likely play on the outside. Murray does like throwing outside of the numbers, so this should at least bode well for Brown’s fantasy outlook. It should also be noted that both Murray and Brown will be playing to strengthen their respective market values. Whereas new Quarterback-Wide Receiver typically take time to gel, it will be just like the good old days for this duo. And most exciting for Cardinals fans is the thought that the chemistry brings out the best in both for the first six weeks. Once week 7 rolls around, Hopkins is hopefully entering into an offense that is already clicking. Only time will tell if the Murray to Brown connection is as explosive as it once was. But history absolutely shows us that these guys have the ability to bring out the best in each other.