Baltimore Ravens ‘have their eye’ on WR Terrace Marshall Jr.

Will LSU WR Terrace Marshall Jr. be a first-round pick?

LSU wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. has been talked about quite a lot leading up to the 2021 NFL draft. Could Marshall hear his name called when round one begins, on Thursday, April 29th?

He absolutely should.

There are few teams selecting in the second half of the first round that could use Marshall’s talent. The Baltimore Ravens are one team that people consistently have drafting Marshall in their mock drafts.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Baltimore Ravens selecting Terrace Marshall Jr. with the 27th overall pick in round one.

Baltimore Ravens Director of Player Personnel Joe Hortiz recently said that the team “has their eye” on wide receivers Terrace Marshall Jr., and Rashod Bateman.

“ (They’re) both talented guys who have some versatility,” Hortiz said when speaking on the wideouts.

The fit in Baltimore makes a lot of sense for Marshall. The Ravens are a team in need of a big-bodied possession wide receiver who can make contested catches as well as create plays down the field.

In 2019, the year quarterback Lamar Jackson won the league MVP, he had two big-bodied tight ends that really made his job in the pocket a lot easier.

Terrace Marshall Jr. is arguably the best big receiver in this draft class. At 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, he fits the mold of what the Ravens want to give their young franchise quarterback.

Marshall isn’t just a big receiver who makes 50/50 catches either. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day last month, and also added a 39-inch vertical jump to his outstanding showing. He’s a complete receiver who can play physically and with speed.

Marshall would help Lamar Jackson in an immense way, even in his rookie season. A receiver with the skillset of Marshall makes a quarterback’s job much simpler. He would give the offense an option on the outside or inside, as well as a big target in the red zone and on third downs.

Utilizing his catch radius, Marshall would help offset any of Lamar Jackson’s inaccuracies in the short and intermediate passing game, which was often a real struggle for the Ravens offense last season.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson also struggled last season when being blitzed, as teams were much more aggressive with him throughout the year. Insert a big, fast, physical receiver like Marshall, and it will help the quick passing game immensely when Jackson is under pressure.

Marshall’s draft stock has clearly been on the rise for a few months now. Most evaluators have him as a top-10 wide receiver in this deep class. Others, myself included, have Marshall as a top-5 receiver leading up to April 29th.

If the Ravens draft Terrace Marshall Jr. at No. 27 overall, LSU fans should be excited to watch him compete and win on Sundays.

Regardless of who he plays for, Marshall will continue to make those around him better.

He’ll continue to be a winning player, on and off the football field.

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