The Panthers selected Terrace Marshall in the second round back in April, and early returns are good. Really good: he looks like a lock as one of the team's top 3 wideouts, with DJ Moore and Robby Anderson. The offense had three highly productive wide receivers a year ago, and no reason to think it won't again.
It's a new quarterback, of course, with Sam Darnold in for Teddy Bridgewater, but that's not necessarily a negative. Curtis Samuel is gone, and Marshall might be able to step right into that slot role. He's a lot bigger (6-3, 201, while Samuel is listed at 5-11, 195), which could be a plus for what the offense wants to do. And there's a familiarity between coaching staff and player.
Carolina offensive coordinator Joe Brady joined the team after coordinating Louisiana State's National Champion in 2019. Marshall was part of that college team, catching 13 touchdowns. He caught 10 more in just seven games in 2020. Those 10 TDs came on 48 receptions; touchdowns on more than 20 percent of his catches. Among players to catch 45-plus balls, that was the 2nd-highest scoring rate in college football.
| NCAA TD RATE, 2020 (45-PLUS CATCHES) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | No | Yds | Avg | TD | TD% |
| Jaelon Darden | 74 | 1,190 | 16.1 | 19 | 25.7% |
| Terrace Marshall | 48 | 731 | 15.2 | 10 | 20.8% |
| DeVonta Smith | 117 | 1,856 | 15.9 | 23 | 19.7% |
| Cole Turner | 49 | 605 | 12.3 | 9 | 18.4% |
| Calvin Austin | 63 | 1,053 | 16.7 | 11 | 17.5% |
| Zay Flowers | 56 | 892 | 15.9 | 9 | 16.1% |
| Kawaan Baker | 51 | 659 | 12.9 | 8 | 15.7% |
| Romeo Doubs | 58 | 1,002 | 17.3 | 9 | 15.5% |
| Jaivon Heiligh | 65 | 998 | 15.4 | 10 | 15.4% |
| Jahan Dotson | 52 | 884 | 17 | 8 | 15.4% |
| Tutu Atwell | 46 | 625 | 13.6 | 7 | 15.2% |
| Jonathan Adams | 79 | 1,111 | 14.1 | 12 | 15.2% |
| David Bell | 53 | 625 | 11.8 | 8 | 15.1% |
| Sean Dykes | 47 | 581 | 12.4 | 7 | 14.9% |
| Sam Pinckney | 47 | 815 | 17.3 | 7 | 14.9% |
| Dyami Brown | 55 | 1,099 | 20 | 8 | 14.5% |
| Kadarius Toney | 70 | 984 | 14.1 | 10 | 14.3% |
| Zakhari Franklin | 49 | 694 | 14.2 | 7 | 14.3% |
| Marlon Williams | 71 | 1,039 | 14.6 | 10 | 14.1% |
| Chris Olave | 50 | 729 | 14.6 | 7 | 14.0% |
| Treylon Burks | 51 | 820 | 16.1 | 7 | 13.7% |
| Cornell Powell | 53 | 882 | 16.6 | 7 | 13.2% |
| Erik Ezukanma | 46 | 748 | 16.3 | 6 | 13.0% |
| Jalen Wydermyer | 46 | 506 | 11 | 6 | 13.0% |
| Jaquarii Roberson | 62 | 926 | 14.9 | 8 | 12.9% |
| Bo Melton | 47 | 638 | 13.6 | 6 | 12.8% |
| Jalen Tolbert | 64 | 1,085 | 17 | 8 | 12.5% |
| Mike Harley | 57 | 799 | 14 | 7 | 12.3% |
| Khalil Shakir | 52 | 719 | 13.8 | 6 | 11.5% |
| Dax Milne | 70 | 1,188 | 17 | 8 | 11.4% |
| Dazz Newsome | 54 | 684 | 12.7 | 6 | 11.1% |
| Kayshon Boutte | 45 | 735 | 16.3 | 5 | 11.1% |
| Jaylon Robinson | 55 | 979 | 17.8 | 6 | 10.9% |
| John Metchie | 55 | 916 | 16.7 | 6 | 10.9% |
| Emeka Emezie | 47 | 738 | 15.7 | 5 | 10.6% |
| Rashee Rice | 48 | 683 | 14.2 | 5 | 10.4% |
| Tylan Wallace | 59 | 922 | 15.6 | 6 | 10.2% |
| Tyler Snead | 53 | 524 | 9.9 | 5 | 9.4% |
| Elijah Moore | 86 | 1,193 | 13.9 | 8 | 9.3% |
| Amari Rodgers | 77 | 1,020 | 13.2 | 7 | 9.1% |
| Tre Walker | 45 | 627 | 13.9 | 4 | 8.9% |
| Neil Pau'u | 45 | 603 | 13.4 | 4 | 8.9% |
| Hunter Long | 57 | 685 | 12 | 5 | 8.8% |
| Taj Harris | 58 | 733 | 12.6 | 5 | 8.6% |
| Joshua Cephus | 58 | 547 | 9.4 | 5 | 8.6% |
| Osirus Mitchell | 47 | 505 | 10.7 | 4 | 8.5% |
| Blake Proehl | 47 | 577 | 12.3 | 4 | 8.5% |
| Seth Williams | 47 | 760 | 16.2 | 4 | 8.5% |
| Justin Hall | 49 | 665 | 13.6 | 4 | 8.2% |
| Tyrice Richie | 53 | 597 | 11.3 | 4 | 7.5% |
| Shi Smith | 57 | 633 | 11.1 | 4 | 7.0% |
| Jordan Addison | 60 | 666 | 11.1 | 4 | 6.7% |
| Keylon Stokes | 46 | 644 | 14 | 3 | 6.5% |
| Thomas Hennigan | 47 | 616 | 13.1 | 3 | 6.4% |
| Xavier Hutchinson | 64 | 771 | 12 | 4 | 6.3% |
| Whop Philyor | 54 | 495 | 9.2 | 3 | 5.6% |
| Anthony Schwartz | 54 | 636 | 11.8 | 3 | 5.6% |
| Cam Johnson | 56 | 545 | 9.7 | 3 | 5.4% |
| Jarrin Pierce | 59 | 584 | 9.9 | 3 | 5.1% |
| Kaylon Geiger | 64 | 752 | 11.8 | 3 | 4.7% |
| Winston Wright | 47 | 553 | 11.8 | 2 | 4.3% |
| Travis Etienne | 48 | 588 | 12.3 | 2 | 4.2% |
| Jaden Walley | 52 | 718 | 13.8 | 2 | 3.8% |
| Wan'Dale Robinson | 51 | 461 | 9 | 1 | 2.0% |
| Josh Ali | 54 | 473 | 8.8 | 1 | 1.9% |
| Billy Kemp | 67 | 644 | 9.6 | 1 | 1.5% |
| Jo'Quavious Marks | 60 | 268 | 4.5 | 0 | 0.0% |
It remains to be seen if Darnold is a good fit for the new offense, and Marshall has to compete with a couple of really capable receivers for targets. But definitely one of the more intriguing rookie wideouts to consider in drafts.
Showing up just behind Marshall on the above list is DeVonta Smith, and early news on Philadelphia's first-round pick is going the other way. He has an MCL injury and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks, which will keep him out of the first couple of exhibitions at a minimum. Unlike in Carolina, the Eagles don't have much in the way of proven wideouts, so Smith might still emerge as this team's top wide receiver, quickly. But an inauspicious start.
--Andy Richardson