Name: Terrace Marshall Jr.

School: LSU

Year: Jr

Position: Wide Receiver

Measurables: Height 6025, Weight 205 pounds

Stats:

General Info:

Marshall was the unanimous number one prospect out of Louisiana, and was ranked as the second wide receiver in the nation coming out of high school. He caught 55 passes for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. Marshall unfortunately missed his senior season due to injury. He was a 2018 Under Armour All-American and was a dual sport athlete in football and basketball.

Marshall played in 13 games as a freshman and earned one start, where he caught 12 passes for 192 yards. As a sophomore, he was a part of a trio that set records at LSU. An elite third option in the offense, Marshall caught 46 passes for 671 yards and 13 touchdowns. He only played in seven games as a junior, but still put up double digit touchdowns and 731 yards on 48 receptions. 

Positional Skills:

Strengths

Marshall is an excellent three level threat as a route runner. He isn’t overly explosive with his change of direction skills, but he’s crisp and smooth in and out of breaks. His ability to win quickly on the slant route is near the top of the class. Marshall is great at clearing contact at the top of his stem, and he has the acceleration and play strength to stack defenders when working vertically down the field.

Marshall has great hands and plucks the football well out of the air away from his frame. He has good extension and a large catch radius to make plays. He thrives in contested spots as well, shielding contact with his frame. His length and high-pointing ability make him tough to contain at the catch point down the field and in the red zone. Marshall is also very skilled at tracking the football down the field and gets himself into a good position where only he can make the catch. He is nuanced as well when he adjusts late on his routes against tight coverage, working back to football at the last moment to secure the football. 

Marshall can thrive after the catch as well, which may surprise some with his profile. He has great acceleration after the catch, and his short area burst gives him an advantage in the open field to turn short plays into long gains and touchdowns. He possesses good field vision to anticipate defenders’ movements and weave through defenders with his smooth movement skills. Marshall has good body control and balance after the catch as well. 

Weaknesses

Marshall isn’t the twitchiest athlete as a player, and while his movements are smooth, he doesn’t have the elite ability as other players do in this draft class. His separation quickness is lacking a bit, as again, his route running is more nuanced. Marshall has work to do in terms of his release package, which can be further developed in his time in the NFL. His play speed isn’t elite either. Marshall is more of an absorber as a blocker rather than a tough, competitive stalk blocker.

Fit with the Packers:

Terrace Marshall Jr. fits best in the traditional “X” role in an offense. However, he has gotten plenty of reps in the slot in his career at LSU due to the overwhelming talent in the receiver room. That versatility would play well in an offense that, under Matt LaFleur, has seen Davante Adams work inside and outside. Marshall’s size and abilities at the catch point would be a welcome addition to Aaron Rodgers, who’d likely develop trust with him early on. Marshall’s ability at all three levels of the offense, combined with his abilities after the catch, would form a fearsome duo with Adams in the offense.