Terrace Marshall Jr. Would Give the Chiefs a Big-Bodied Receiving Target
Terrace Marshall Jr. - WR, LSU
By the numbers:
6'3", 200 pounds
2020: 48 receptions for 731 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games.
Positives:
Terrace Marshall Jr. has very good size and good top-end speed that combines to form one heck of a downfield threat. He tracks the ball well and uses his size to elevate for catches and high-point the football. While he primarily operates as a standard X-receiver, Marshall is capable of playing in the slot as well.
Marshall's physicality and body control are also plus aspects of his game. He doesn't shy away from contact and embraces the fact that he's bigger than the person covering him. Once the ball is in his hands, he displays respectable contact balance and always seems to be in control of where he's going on the field. With that said, those movements could stand to see some improvement.
Negatives:
In terms of the route tree, Marshall still has a ways to go. There was a noticeable improvement in his route-running prowess from 2019 to 2020, but at the next level, those incremental improvements will need to be major ones. He's far from a poor route-runner, but in complex NFL offenses, he will be expected to break off of his stem in a variety of directions without taking any time to think about doing so.
Short-area burst and twitchy athleticism aren't Marshall's strong suits. This is evident in both his get-off at the line of scrimmage (which is still decent) and his yards after the catch efforts (also decent). His straight-line speed makes him dangerous, but it takes him a bit longer to accelerate or get going right after the catch than is ideal.
Run blocking is the one area that Marshall needs to work on a lot more moving forward. It doesn't make or break NFL careers, but it's a detail-oriented part of the game that can truly make a difference early on.
How Marshall fits with the Chiefs:
Aside from tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs don't have a big-bodied target to throw to. Marshall's length would provide quarterback Patrick Mahomes with another large catch radius at his disposal. Marshall is oozing with potential, although Andy Reid's offense is a difficult one to learn on the fly and without a proper offseason, it will be challenging for a player like Marshall to get up to speed. That's true for all rookies, but especially ones who still need to refine their routes.
Final Thoughts:
Marshall's blend of size and speed makes him a player with a sky-high ceiling. If he can become a better route runner and adopt a full complement of breaks, he could be a great NFL receiver. On the other hand, he isn't quite as developed as a few other wideouts at the top of this year's draft board just yet. Marshall has generated buzz as a firm first-round choice but grades out as an early second-round pick.
Read More: Arrowhead Report's 100 Players in 100 Days: A Kansas City Chiefs Draft Guide.
