Marqise Lee NFL Draft Preview 2014: Projections, Draft Stock and More

Dec 21, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans center Marqise Lee (9) celebrates with tight end Randall Telfer (82) after a 40-yard reception against Fresno State Bulldogs in the fourth quarter of the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. USC defeated Fresno State 45-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Marqise Lee

Junior| Wide Receiver | 6’0, 195

Career Stats: 248 receptions, 3655 yards, 29 touchdowns

College Production:

Marqise Lee is one of the greatest wide receivers to ever take the field in the Cardinal and Gold. With 24 owned or shared USC records, including three conference records and one NCAA record, his three years as a Trojan were defined by on the field dominance.

Lee’s honors include the Biletnikoff Award, the Paul Warfield Award, Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, unanimous All-American first team, All-Pac-12 first team, Heisman Trophy Finalist and USC MVP. The list could go on for some time more.

Pro Prospects:

Lee’s athleticism and speed gave him an edge as a freshman breaking onto the scene. The progression of his route-running and football smarts made him unstoppable as a sophomore. Unfortunately, his injury woes added question marks as a junior.

NFL scouts and gurus are undecided as to whether he’s got everything it takes to be an elite number one receiver in the pros, but they all tend to agree that he has to tools to be a productive player at least. Afterall, you don’t set records at a school with the rich receiving history that USC has without being an elite talent.

The big question is how much his injuries affected his work outs leading up to the draft and whether they will cause problems going forward. A less-than-impressive 40-yard dash time doesn’t quite mesh with the explosive wide out Trojan fans watched burn every defender he faced. In the same way, the jaw-dropping playmaker we saw in uniform didn’t quite translate to the his workout measurables.

Stock Report:

Initially slotted as a sure-fire top 15 pick, Lee has spent most of 2014 sliding down draft boards. Now the consensus has him going somewhere on the back end of the first round or, at worst, early in the second.

CBS Sports experts Rob Rang, Dane Brugler, Pete Prisco and Pat Kirwan project Lee to the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, San Fransisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers respectively. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock recently had the New Orleans Saints taking Lee with the No. 27 pick.

Just to make things interesting, rumor has it, the Miami Dolphins could be in play even earlier with pick No. 19.

What is the best landing spot for Marqise Lee?

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