2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Marquez Stevenson

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  • Marquez Stevenson, 5-10/182

  • Wide Receiver

  • Houston


  • Marquez Stevenson Scouting Report
    By Charlie Campbell

    Strengths:
  • Fast
  • Deep-threat receiver
  • First-step quickness
  • Explosive
  • Generates separation
  • Second-gear speed
  • Sudden
  • Fast in and out of breaks
  • Route-running ability
  • Above-average run-after-the-catch skills
  • Quick feet
  • Quality hands
  • Big-play threat
  • Threat to score on any touch
  • Stretches a defense vertically
  • Quick release off of the line
  • Ready to contribute immediately




  • Weaknesses:
  • Bad body
  • Training, work ethic?
  • Poor Senior Bowl performance
  • Short
  • Undersized
  • Could stand to improve his hands
  • Ability to hold up in the NFL?


  • Summary: In 2018 and 2019, Stevenson was one of the most lethal receivers in college football. He broke out as a sophomore with 75 receptions for 1,019 yards and nine touchdowns through the air. He also added 126 yards on 14 rushes and another two scores. As a junior, Stevenson caught 52 passes for 907 yards – 17.4 average – with nine touchdowns. He then made 20 receptions for 307 yard and four scores in 2020. Stevenson participated in the Senior Bowl, but team sources say he did not impress in Mobile and disappeared.

    What sets Stevenson apart is his game-breaking speed. He is extremely fast and can score from anywhere on the field. Stevenson is a flier who can take the top off a defense with his ability to burn coverage over the top. When he gets free, he is nearly impossible to track down, because his dynamic speed can take away angles. Stevenson is the kind of a receiver who can take a short slant the distance. He also has run-after-the-catch skills with some moves in the secondary, but he is mostly a straight-line runner, using his speed to run away from tacklers. Brown has decent hands and route-running. He will need to refine his routes for the NFL, but as a speed receiver, he has potential.



    The big concern with Stevenson is his size. He is short and very light, so durability is going to be a concern in the pros. Stevenson also has a bad body, according to team sources, so that puts his work ethic and training habits in question.

    For the NFL, Stevenson projects to be a DeSean Jackson-type weapon for an offense, although Stevenson will probably be more of a No. 2 or 3 receiver. He should be able to play early, and his speed should provide plenty of mismatches immediately. In the 2021 NFL Draft, Stevenson looks like a mid-round pick who could be a nice value selection.



    Player Comparison: Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown. Multiple team sources compared Stevenson to a poor man’s version of Brown.






    RELATED LINKS:


    2021 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s


    2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings


    2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports








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