The Carolina Panthers wide receiver room is one of the weakest in the league, but one stat implies that Terrace Marshall might be ready for a big year in 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, the former second-round pick was the best in the league at running go routes last year, and that skill should carry over into the upcoming season.
Top-graded wideouts on go routes last season, according to @PFF:
1. Terrace Marshall: (97.1)
2. A.J. Brown: (96.6)
3. Mike Evans: (95.1) pic.twitter.com/djYoHZhkjE— Michael Bell (@avl_mike) June 15, 2023
PFF: Terrace Marshall Leads NFL In One Impressive Stat
What This Really Means
In order to truly process what this stat means for Terrace Marshall, one must first understand the PFF grading system. Per their own website, “the PFF grading system isolates the targeted receiver’s role on every pass attempt” and rewards the player for making contested catches, picking up first downs, and outrunning defenders. Marshall had plenty of highlight reel plays when the ball went his way, so it’s easy to see how he could earn a high grade based on this criteria.
https://twitter.com/G0dGiven_/status/1666554123297144838?s=20
PFF grades are one of the better metrics available to the public, but they’re not perfect. There are some blind spots, with the biggest one being that the player only earns a grade when they’re actually targeted. Earning targets is a skill, as a quarterback will only throw the ball if they believe there is a chance the receiver actually makes a play. Marshall was great when called upon, but he never established himself as a major part of the passing attack. After starting the season on the bench, Marshall earned a larger role following the Robbie Anderson trade. However, even after Anderson joined the Cardinals, Marshall still only averaged 3.6 targets per game.
It stands to reason that he would not have maintained his apparently elite play if he had seen A.J. Brown’s workload. PFF’s grades don’t account for this, which is (justifiably) why nobody thinks this stat proves Terrace Marshall is the best deep threat in football. However, this does show that Marshall could emerge as a major threat for the 2023 Carolina Panthers and their new quarterback.
Terrace Marshall Stat Projection With Bryce Young
The Carolina Panthers have four players battling for the top spot on the wide receiver depth chart: Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Jonathan Mingo, and Marshall. While Thielen and Chark have the strongest track records, there is a real chance that Terrace Marshall ends up leading the team in all the receiving stats. The wideout has reportedly impressed throughout training camp and is the early favorite to be the Panthers WR1.
Marshall’s ability as an outside deep threat is a perfect match for first-round pick Bryce Young. Young has an above-average arm with elite deep accuracy, but none of that matters if there is nobody capable of getting downfield and making a play. Terrace Marshall’s PFF stat shows that he can thrive in this role, and if his Year 3 improvement is the real deal, then he could easily climb to the top of this depth chart. With D.J. Moore in Chicago, somebody needs to step up for the rookie quarterback, and that somebody could be Terrace Marshall.
Terrace Marshall Jr. is going to be a household name this season. pic.twitter.com/v90NPvCZYI
— Michael Bell (@avl_mike) June 14, 2023
Main Photo: Bob Donnan – USA Today Sports
