An undrafted free agent by the name of Jalin Marshall has made quite the name for himself during training camp. The former Ohio State standout has turned heads this offseason, coming in as an undrafted free agent, trying to make this crowded depth chart at the wide receiver position. Many felt Marshall had left Ohio State too early after playing only two seasons there, many also felt he needed one more year of development. Leaving school early could be the reason why he went undrafted but Marshall felt he was ready and can’t wait to prove the NFL nation wrong. While at Ohio State he caught 76 passes for 976 yards and 11 touchdowns in 27 games.
Jalin Marshall will have his hands busy trying to make the roster with others competing for his position like Charone Peake, Robby Anderson, Jeremy Ross and Kyle Williams. As we know others on this depth chart are Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Kenbrell Thompkins and his former teammate and last year’s second round pick, Devin Smith. Jalin Marshall has been making strides for example not dropping a pass in camp as well as getting first team reps when Thompkins wasn’t able to make practice. He also brings special teams great value, which may bump him into the 53-man roster. On special teams he has been fielding punts as a returner. It could be a nice breath of fresh air to have a dangerous return man instead of last year’s fair catch specialist Jeremy Kerley. In college 34.6 percent of his punt returns have gone for 15-plus yards, which is outstanding.
Jalin Marshall has explosive traits and instinctive feel to create space whenever the ball is in his hands, showing sure-hands and body control to expand his catch radius. Marshall is able to track the ball well downfield, finding it in flight. He brings a lot to the table, and can be an explosive gadget guy in the NFL. He can be a return man, slot wide receiver, and gained experienced at being a number two wide out as well this season at Ohio State. Many scouts have called him a running back playing slot receiver, a get the ball in his hands and let him do work type player. He is a slippery ball carrier with silky body control and light feet to make defenders miss in space. Marshall has homerun potential when the ball is in his hands. He sinks at the top of routes and is able to change direction in a dime. These traits all add up to an exciting prospect to watch this season.
Jalin Marshall is hungry to make a name for himself in the NFL after teams passed him up this draft. The Jets might have gotten a steal here with Marshall, who is now playing with a chip on his shoulder because of people’s doubt. Don’t be surprised to see him make this roster at the end of the depth chart and work his way up that depth chart fast!