Matt Brown
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NFL Draft 2016 prospect: Jalin Marshall
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Where will Marshall end up in the NFL?
Most of Ohio State's underclassmen NFL declarations were relatively expected once the season started to really get going, as talents like Joey Bosa, Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell and more had clearly demonstrated they were ready for a step up in competition. One of the few that might have raised a few eyebrows was H-Back/WR Jalin Marshall.
Marshall's speed and athletic ability are not in dispute. He was a productive player during his two seasons of action at Ohio State, picking up 74 catches for 976 yards, including 36 grabs for 477 yards last season. He had 12 touchdowns from scrimmage as a Buckeye, and another from a punt return, and showed he could be dangerous catching the ball, grabbing it out of the backfield, or on special teams.
But consistency was sometimes an issue, and Marshall didn't get a ton of snaps over his college career replicating exactly what he'll do in the NFL. The Combine was a big opportunity to start to answer some questions teams might have about the kind of player he could be.
Measurements
Height: 5'10
Weight: 200
Arms: 31 1/2"
Hands: 9 5/8"
Interviews
Marshall's biggest goal while at the NFL Combine was to prove he "belongs in the NFL and can play among the best of the best."
There were many questions about his decision to declare for the draft with so much eligibility left. He said, "I talked it over with my family and coaches and I cam down to the decision it was time for me to take the next step and that I was prepared enough to be able to play."
He was asked if he surprised people by making the leap the League, to which he acknowledged, "I think I surprised a lot of people, but I knew that was expected." He ultimately said, he made the decision because, "I felt like I helped impact our team a lot, and we had two successful seasons while I played there, and I had a lot to do with that and I felt like I was ready to go."
He noted that he can play both running back and wide receiver and is "very versatile for any team that I play for, and can help the team in any way and I'm open to do whatever."
There was a lot of talk at the combine about wide receivers not getting as many touches as they may have liked in 2015. With so many players and so much talent, along with some quarterback struggles, Marshall noted that he wasn't as concerned about stats, because that's not the end all be all.
"Being at Ohio State, whether you get the ball or not you get exposure, and what you do when you get the ball is how people view you."
Workouts
Bench press: 16 reps
40-yard dash: First run: 4.60 unofficial, Second run: 4.69 unofficial
Position drills: TBD
Vertical jump: TBD
Broad jump: TBD
20-yard shuttle run: TBD
Projection
Marshall is a bit of a wild card. He is a solid punt returner, and is often considered a running back who plays in the slot. With more receiver experience and training, he could make an impact on offense, but in the meantime could find playing time as a returner. When he will get draft could vary based on how a team feels he could be used, but isn't expected to go earlier than the third round.
Continue reading...
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Where will Marshall end up in the NFL?
Most of Ohio State's underclassmen NFL declarations were relatively expected once the season started to really get going, as talents like Joey Bosa, Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell and more had clearly demonstrated they were ready for a step up in competition. One of the few that might have raised a few eyebrows was H-Back/WR Jalin Marshall.
Marshall's speed and athletic ability are not in dispute. He was a productive player during his two seasons of action at Ohio State, picking up 74 catches for 976 yards, including 36 grabs for 477 yards last season. He had 12 touchdowns from scrimmage as a Buckeye, and another from a punt return, and showed he could be dangerous catching the ball, grabbing it out of the backfield, or on special teams.
But consistency was sometimes an issue, and Marshall didn't get a ton of snaps over his college career replicating exactly what he'll do in the NFL. The Combine was a big opportunity to start to answer some questions teams might have about the kind of player he could be.
Measurements
Height: 5'10
Weight: 200
Arms: 31 1/2"
Hands: 9 5/8"
Interviews
Marshall's biggest goal while at the NFL Combine was to prove he "belongs in the NFL and can play among the best of the best."
There were many questions about his decision to declare for the draft with so much eligibility left. He said, "I talked it over with my family and coaches and I cam down to the decision it was time for me to take the next step and that I was prepared enough to be able to play."
He was asked if he surprised people by making the leap the League, to which he acknowledged, "I think I surprised a lot of people, but I knew that was expected." He ultimately said, he made the decision because, "I felt like I helped impact our team a lot, and we had two successful seasons while I played there, and I had a lot to do with that and I felt like I was ready to go."
He noted that he can play both running back and wide receiver and is "very versatile for any team that I play for, and can help the team in any way and I'm open to do whatever."
There was a lot of talk at the combine about wide receivers not getting as many touches as they may have liked in 2015. With so many players and so much talent, along with some quarterback struggles, Marshall noted that he wasn't as concerned about stats, because that's not the end all be all.
"Being at Ohio State, whether you get the ball or not you get exposure, and what you do when you get the ball is how people view you."
Workouts
Bench press: 16 reps
40-yard dash: First run: 4.60 unofficial, Second run: 4.69 unofficial
Position drills: TBD
Vertical jump: TBD
Broad jump: TBD
20-yard shuttle run: TBD
Projection
Marshall is a bit of a wild card. He is a solid punt returner, and is often considered a running back who plays in the slot. With more receiver experience and training, he could make an impact on offense, but in the meantime could find playing time as a returner. When he will get draft could vary based on how a team feels he could be used, but isn't expected to go earlier than the third round.
Continue reading...