Another Tiger in the Wild

With the 2020 fantasy season over, and the ________ being crowned as the Super Bowl LVI champions, it is time to look ahead to next season, and specifically the incoming 2021 rookie class.

In this rookie report series, @goldjacketqbs is going to take a look at some intriguing WR prospects, in what's shaping up to be another deep rookie class.

This wideout did not receive much hype prior to 2020, and probably wouldn’t have gotten much this year unless another WR hadn’t opted out of the 2020 season.

Who is the WR in question? It is 6’3” 206 lbs. L.S.U Tiger Terrace Marshall Jr. In 2019 the L.S.U. offense was firing on all cylinders as we saw Joe Burrow toss an amazing 60 TDs. While most of the attention was given to WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson (rightfully so) there was another WR that was helping Burrow that year with an impressive 13 TDs of his own - Terrace Marshall Jr.

COLLEGE RECAP

Fast forward to 2020. Justin Jefferson is gone (a future star with the Minnesota Vikings), and Ja’Marr Chase opted out of the season due to Covid-19. This left Terrace, as a major focal point for the Tigers offense as he was no longer third on the WR depth chart. The 2020 LSU team was not like the 2019 offensive juggernaut but Terrace did not disappoint. In only 7 games (Terrace opted out after to focus on the 2021 NFL draft) he had a very impressive 32.5% Dominator Rating, commanding 731 yards and double digit touchdowns (10) for the second year in a row. While Terrace is no Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase when it comes to running routes, he does possess a big frame and consistently wins in the red zone - a skill that many NFL teams covet, and can use right away. While I don’t consider LSU's current QB Myles Brennan to be the next Joe Burrow, I was happy to see him look Terrace's way with17 targets on 3rd down and 16 redzone targets. As the number one WR for LSU, Terrace was clearly going to smash all expectations if he didn’t opt out after 7 games.

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NFL PLAYER COMP

The player that most reminds me of Terrace Marshall Jr. - last year Buffalo Bills rookie WR Gabriel Davis. Both Davis and Marshall work well and win in the redzone.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021 - POSSIBLE LANDING SPOTS

Heading into the combine, I’ll be interested in how Terrace runs the gauntlet drill, and if he’s utilized in the fade drill for QBs. I’m not certain if Terrace is suited to be an alpha WR at the NFL level or if he’s more suited to play a Robin to someone’s Batman, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of WRs that have had great fantasy seasons playing the Robin role. A lot will depend on which NFL team drafts him. Taking a look at the team rosters in the NFL, there are a few viable options that stand out for Terrace in 2021. Teams that I’m interested in drafting the LSU WR are the Seattle Seahawks, the Atlanta Falcons, or the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Seattle Seahawks have Twitter’s #1 Dynasty WR in D.K. Metcalf, and a very fantastic WR #2 in Tyler Lockett who’s under contract for 2021. But there is not much else depth after the top two. David Moore and Josh Gordon are not under contract for 2021 which leads a big hole in the receiving core that Terrace can easily fill. With Metcalf and Lockett he doesn’t have to step up and be the number one option right away, and would have the opportunity to learn from both of the WRs. As well, being tied to an elite QB in Russell Wilson and catching passes from him wouldn't hurt either.

Next let’s take a look at Terrace’s possible fit with the Atlanta Falcons. This one is a bit different as it’s fueled by the rumors of WR Julio Jones being on the trade block. While WR Russell Gage is still under contract for 2021, and the team seems to like him (rightfully so) the reality could be that Gage plays himself out of Atlanta in 2022. If that were to transpire, Terrace could step in and potentially fill any WR role needed. This scenario only exists if Atlanta moves on from Julio, and if a new regime stays as pass happy as they currently are; the Falcons could draft or sign a high profile RB which could alter their offensive scheme and outlook.

On to my favourite scenario for Terrace. The Kansas City Chiefs draft Terrace in the 3rd round and pair him with another stellar QB in Pat Mahomes, the best TE in the game Travis Kelce and the TRUE # #1 Dynasty WR in Tyreek Hill. In this situation Terrace would slide into the Sammy Watkins role, and for a lot cheaper. While I realize that Sammy Watkins hasn't necessarily produced in that role in the past, I believe Terrace can step into this offence and produce. Having a QB like Mahomes with a gunslinger's mentality throwing you the ball can make a player fantasy viable in any given week.

Clearly this is just speculation, and it is always fun to think about potential landing spots for the incoming rookie class. However, for now we’ll have to wait for the Underwear Olympics (the combine) to begin, and to monitor if Terrace Marshall Jr.'s value rises or falls in the coming months.

Thank you for reading my article and stay tuned for more rookie WR analysis and where I think they can possibly land in 2021!!!

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Editor: Joe Simonetti (@joesimonetti77)

Graphic work: Dan Made Graphics (@DanMadeGraphics)