LSU Football: Former Tiger could be the biggest steal of the 2021 NFL Draft

Former LSU football wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase could end up being the first receiver selected in the 2021 NFL Draft (depending on where Alabama’s Devonta Smith lands).

And that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Chase’s 2019 season was one of the best seasons ever by a wide receiver.

The Louisiana native caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Chase opted out of the 2020 season, but his status as a top player in the 2021 NFL Draft was solidified this week with a strong showing at LSU’s pro-day. Chase ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, while also posting a 41-inch vertical.

There’s no doubt that whoever drafts Chase will be getting a stud. He could go in the top five and no one would question the pick.

But while all the attention is on Chase, there’s another Tigers wide receiver that could end up being the biggest steal of the draft.

Former LSU Football wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr will be a stud in the NFL

Terrace Marshall Jr might be the most underrated player in this year’s draft.

Marshall played in the shadows of Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson for most of his career at LSU. This past season, with Chase and Jefferson out of the picture, Marshall showed he was capable of being a dominant No. 1 wide receiver.

The former five-star recruit caught 48 passes for 731 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games. Over a 15 game season, those numbers extrapolate to 102 receptions for 1,566 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those aren’t quite Chase in 2019 numbers, but it’s close (and important to remember that for part of 2020, Marshall was catching passes from a pair of true freshmen quarterbacks).

For now, Marshall is going either late first-round or early second-round in mock drafts.

That’s a steal for a player that could be a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL (especially after Marshall also ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day).

Marshall should be a top 15 pick….maybe even a top 10 pick. But unfortunately, he didn’t get to show his full potential in Baton Rouge.

But that’s alright. It won’t be long before a lot of NFL teams will be regretting passing on the future stud wide receiver.