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Iman Marshall NFL Draft Evaluation

Here is where the star cornerback might land in the 2019 NFL Draft.

NCAA Football: Southern California at Arizona
Iman Marshall
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Iman Marshall has been a standout cornerback for the USC Trojans for years now. The senior from Long Beach, California has been one of the few staples in the Trojan defense the last few years. As his senior year comes to an end, Marshall will be focusing on his preparation for the NFL Draft. Here is an evaluation of the cornerback’s skills and where he might land.

Evaluation:

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual - USC v Penn State Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 205 pounds

40-yard dash: 4.50 seconds

Wingspan: 73.5 inches

Hand size: 9.5 inches

Iman Marshall, also known as “Biggie”, is as explosive a cornerback as you can get in college football. He, and former cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, made for a great tandem until Marshall was entrusted to be the leader of the secondary himself. Marshall came out of high school as a five-star recruit and the No. 4 player in the country according to both 247Sports and ESPN. In his freshman season, he didn’t wait to make his mark on the field. Marshall finished with 67 total tackles and three interceptions. He won Pac-12 player of the week honors after his stellar performance against the UCLA Bruins, where he had four tackles and two interceptions against standout quarterback Josh Rosen. The two interceptions:

Marshall was able to have an even better sophomore year, where he earned an All Pac-12 honorable mention. In the first game of the year against the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, Marshall made one of the signature plays of his Trojan career. As quarterback Jalen Hurts dropped back and threw a pass to the outside, Marshall came flying in to make an acrobatic interception. Here is the play that got scouts raving about this kid:

As a junior and a senior, Marshall didn’t play quite as well as many anticipated. While he continued to be a premier player for the Trojan defense, he didn’t make quite as many game-changing plays as the team would have hoped. A good portion of this had to due with his inability to consistently stay on the field. He dealt with a lot of injuries his last two years at USC, which led him to only play 10 and 11 games, respectively. The lone bright spot for Marshall in his senior year, in an otherwise terrible season for the entire football team, was that he had a career high in tackles for loss with five and a half. Ultimately, Marshall was a special player for the Trojans during his four years. He provided stability in the secondary when there wasn’t much before he got there. Marshall ends his USC career second all-time in the Pac-12 in pass deflections with 36.

Projected Draft Position:

2018 NFL Draft Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Marshall is currently projected to go in the third or fourth round of the draft according to various draft websites. According to WalterFootball, he is the No. 13 ranked cornerback in the class. With the NFL transforming into a pass driven league over the last few years, having quality cornerbacks on your team is vital to a team’s success. With Marshall, NFL teams will feel great having him defend throws and making plays for them.