Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
Something that has been coming for a long time for the Jacksonville Jaguars is an offensive overhaul. The team drafted QB Blake Brotles third overall to address the quarterback position and the team added two wideouts within the first three rounds, including WR Marquse Lee.
Lee caught 248 passes for 3,655 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns throughout his time at USC. Lee showed glimpses of being a brilliant wideout and will certainly catch the attention of many fantasy football fans this summer.
Positives:
Lee won the 2012 Biletnikoff Award winner, which is awarded to the nation’s number one receiver. Lee was once a huge prospect, but a lackluster 2013 campaign caused the wideout to drop this May. He was once a star prospect for a reason, though, so he has serious potential.
Lee has very strong hands and can make tough catches downfield. He has no problem going across the middle either, despite weighing just 190 pounds. The wideout is very elusive in the open field and knows how to gain yards after the catch. Lee is the outside talent that this offense has been trying to find for over a decade.
Negatives:
The team has already stated that Chad Henne will likely start the year at quarterback, which would leave Brotles on the bench early on in 2014. The potential quarterback controversy could end up messing with the rookie wideout’s transition. Lee needs one quarterback to get in sync with throughout the year and the constant turnover under center won’t help him progress.
Jacksonville also drafted Allen Robinson (6-3, 210) in the second round, who is 20 pounds heavier than the former Trojan. Robinson could threaten Lee for playing time this season, and if Lee gets injured, A-Rob could wind up surpassing him on the depth chart.
Even worse, Lee was plagued with injuries throughout his time in Southern California. The wideout missed several games with knee/shin injuries in 2013 and was on the injury report nearly every week. He has already missed time in OTA’s with an ankle injury this spring and injuries will be something to monitor in Lee’s rookie campaign.
Final Verdict:
Lee has all the talent in the world, but unfortunately there are too many things working against him right now. He will be worth gambling on as a WR3, but the offense’s struggles and potential quarterback problems will keep the rookie from cracking WR2 territory this year. Look for Lee to finish his first year with between 5-8 touchdowns and under 800 receiving yards.
Bye Week: 11
Projected Round: 13
Auction Value: $6
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
