One Gator included in way-too-early first-round mock draft from ESPN
Most Florida Gators fans are expecting wide receiver Ricky Pearsall or one of the running backs — Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne — to lead the team this season, but that’s not the player ESPN’s Jordan Reid thinks will end up as a first-round draft pick.
It’s still very early in the 2024 draft cycle to be putting together first-round mocks, but Reid thinks cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. will be a top-30 overall pick when April finally rolls around. He has Marshall going No. 27 overall to the Dallas Cowboys. Although that pick is a bit surprising, Marshall’s talent has always been there.
If defensive backs coach Corey Raymond can unlock the former top-25 overall recruit’s full potential, there’s a good chance he ends up a first-rounder. With just two interceptions over as many seasons at Florida, the production isn’t quite there for NFL teams to take the risk, but a full season as the true No. 1 for an SEC program could do the trick.
“At 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, Marshall’s length causes issues for opponents in man coverage,” Reid said. “However, he lacks ball production (only two career interceptions), and scouts want to see him make a bigger impact on passes in the air next season.”
There’s no doubt that this is a make-or-break season for Marshall, but the folks at ESPN are expecting him to boom instead of bust. That’s good news for Gators fans, who have endured a couple of rough seasons on defense lately.
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