4-EYED ROOKIE SNAPSHOT: Terrace Marshall

June 28, 2021 Brian Ford

The Carolina Panthers selected Terrace Marshall, Jr. in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, at 59th overall.

Marshall joins receivers DJ Moore and Robby Anderson and running back Christian McCaffrey as offensive weapons for new quarterback Sam Darnold. Will this be too much competition for Marshall? Time will tell.

Let’s learn more about him in our 4-EYED ROOKIE SNAPSHOT!

College Background

Marshall entered LSU as a freshman in 2018 and saw few touches. As a sophomore in 2019, with standout wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase on the team, Marshall managed to catch 46 passes for 671 yards (a 14.6 yard average) and 13 touchdowns in 12 games, on the way to a national championship. With Jefferson in the NFL and Ja’Marr Chase opting out of the 2020 season, Marshall had 48 receptions for 731 yards (15.2 yards per catch) and 10 scores in 9 games before opting out, during a transition year for the program. Some expected better numbers from Marshall given that he was the primary receiver for the team. Others, satisfied with the overall production given the entire team taking a step back, have pointed to 2020 as Marshall’s only highly productive season, and expressed caution when considering him as a draft prospect. 

Marshall has a good size/speed combination, measuring 6’2’ and 205 lbs. While running a 4.45 second 40-yard dash. He is a good red zone threat who does well with contested catches, but also has good YAC ability, though he lacks high end agility and elusiveness. Marshall’s initial burst off the line of scrimmage and his release are not great, and he could run crisper routes. He will have to work on those aspects of his game. While he has good hands, Marshall had some concentration drops in college that disappointed some scouts. He also had past injuries to his leg and foot that may have given some NFL brass pause. More than one source attributed Marshall’s slide to 59th overall to the injury question. 

Team Situation

Even before considering where Marshall will fit in on his new team, it is important to address the new quarterback for Carolina, Sam Darnold. The Panthers traded for Darnold, who, in several seasons with the Jets, was not impressive to say the least. His tenure as a Jet was capped off with a 2020 season in which he ranked 38th in FanDuel points per game (Fantasy Data) and received an abysmal 52.7 passer grade from Pro Football Focus. As the third overall; selection in the 2018 draft, his career has been a disappointment. Not all the blame should be put on Darnold, though. He had some bad coaching and was never given the supporting cast Zach Wilson will have in New York, or that he himself now has in Carolina. Marshall’s outlook hinges on what we see from Darnold as a Panther. Will Matt Rhule and Joe Brady, and an array of offensive weapons, help fix Darnold and turn him into a competent NFL quarterback? While it remains to be seen, there is seemingly nowhere to go but up for Darnold.

If we assume some improvement from Darnold, the offense should function fairly well in Carolina. While the team lacks a tight end weapon (Dan Arnold and Ian Thomas are the options right now), running back Christian McCaffrey returns in 2021, as do quality wide receivers Robby Anderson and DJ Moore. It would seem at first that Marshall will have trouble fitting in. Marshall’s size and overall skill set, however, could lead him to be a starter on the outside, along with the speedy Anderson, moving Moore to a slot position. The team lost 2020 slot weapon Curtis Samuel, and Moore’s versatility would make his transition smooth. In short, Marshall should be able to carve out a role for himself and get some valuable targets.

Fantasy Outlook

If we assume Marshall takes on a regular role as an outside threat, there should be enough targets to go around in the offense for him to be an interesting fantasy option in 2021 and beyond. The Panthers’ defense will not be very good, and we expect high passing volume from the team as they play from behind in a number of games. While he may be the third or fourth option in the passing game, especially to start the year, if Marshall develops chemistry with Darnold and the offense operates as we expect it to, the volume might be there for Marshall to be fantasy relevant.

In redraft, for 2021, Marshall’s floor and ceiling are not as high as some other rookie wide receivers like Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and Devonta Smith, but he is worth a late pick and could be FLEX-worthy and/or an injury and bye week fill-in. Depending on how shallow your rosters are, he might even be a waiver wire target later in the year as he grows into his role in Carolina. 

Marshall’s value is higher in dynasty because his long-term outlook is better than his outlook in 2021. Anderson, already 28, is an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 season, and Marshall’s role could grow. Marshall is going in the early to mid-second round in most dynasty rookie drafts, generally in the same range as fellow NFL second round picks Rondale Moore and Elijah Moore. He is someone whose usage should increase with time and could be in the WR2 range in 2022 if things break right.

If you are not a believer in Darnold, however, you will likely avoid Marshall in both formats. Darnold must improve for Marshall to have any value in 2021 or beyond. That is not a bet many people are willing to make.