Terrace Marshall Jr. NFL Draft Profile

Apr 5, 2021

Oct 10, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. (6) runs against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Statistics:

2018 (9 Games): 12 Rec, 192 yards
2019 (12 Games): 46 Rec, 671 yards, 13 TDs
2020 (7 Games): 48 Rec, 731 yards, 10 TDs

Terrace Marshall Jr. spent the first two years of his LSU career in the background behind players like Joe Burrow, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson. That was not the case in 2020. With Chase opting out for Covid concerns and the other three entering the NFL Draft, the offense ran through Marshall in 2020. He proved he was up to the task as he averaged over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown per game.

Marshall has always shown flashes of WR1 ability, but he hadn’t ever been really to showcase it. All questions about his talent should be answered now, though. He runs very crisp routes, with seemingly effortless change of direction. His 6’3, 205-pound frame makes him an ideal fit for the outside, but he has also proven that he can make plays in the slot. The 4.38u speed that he showed during his Pro Day makes that possible.

Terrace Marshall Jr. is stacked behind the DB to prevent press coverage. Marshall gets the free release and runs right by the safety and corner for a 75-yard touchdown. #TogetherBlue #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/AtWJycsape
— WBG84 (@WBG84) January 30, 2021

In studying his film, his awareness along the sideline seems elite as well. His ability to make plays and get his feet down in bounds should give his future QB confidence. Finally, his size will make him lethal in the red zone. Even when he was playing alongside Chase and Jefferson, he managed to find the end zone 13 times. In fact, his 15 red zone TDs since 2019 is the third-most among D-1 players.

Terrace Marshall Jr. uses the stutter-step to gain leverage against the DB, then makes his cut over the middle & beats the Cover 2 with a contested touchdown catch.

He's textbook with his stutter-releases, and also uses his size well to box out defenders. #TogetherBlue #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/ZZ3KcSFL8y
— WBG84 (@WBG84) January 29, 2021

The biggest issue with Marshall is one commonly seen with young receivers. He occasionally has frustrating lapses in concentration that lead to drops. A lot of this comes with looking upfield or anticipating hits before the pass is secured. It should be something that improves with experience, but could cause a few issues in the short term. After all, he only has one true year of starting under his belt. Once the pass is secure, he isn’t the most elusive player after the catch, either. He lacks a second gear and doesn’t have much of a juke in his arsenal.

Overall, Marshall is a player that should show quick progression. Should he get a chance to start, he can polish up some of his flaws and advance his strengths to a higher level. Marshall would make a lot of teams better in the passing game and will be high on many teams’ draft boards.

Draft Projection: Mid First Round to Early Second Round

Best Traits: Size, Footwork, Red Zone Presence

Worst Traits: Drops, Second Gear Speed, Elusivity