Jacksonville Jaguars: A look at Marqise Lee

In 2012, Marqise Lee was arguably the top wide receiver, and even top prospect, in college football. As a sophomore that year, Lee caught 118 balls for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns. Lee would win the Biletnikoff award as the nations top wideout and would also finish 4th in the Heisman Voting.

Now, the former University of Southern California product’s career in the National Football League has been derailed and hampered by injures.

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It all started in 2013, when his production from 2012 dropped dramatically. Lee had nagging knee and shin injuries and also compiled a 12.3% drop rate. In 11 games for the Trojans as a junior, Lee recorded a mere 57 catches for 791 yards and only four touchdowns.

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Despite his draft stock having slipped, Lee decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. However, his stock further dipped when he ran a 4.52 at the combine in the 40. Not exactly ideal for a guy who is only 6’1 and 190 pounds.

After the Jacksonville Jaguars took quarterback Blake Bortles with the 3rd overall pick, the team decided to drafted the USC wideout in the second round with the 39th pick. The Jaguars would also draft Penn State wideout, Allen Robinson, later in the second round. The trio of Bortles, Lee, and Robinson looked to be a good nucleus for the future. But a year and a half in, Lee hasn’t lived up to the billing.

In his rookie season, though he played in 13 games, Lee had a hamstring injury that limited his opportunities. Couple that with trying to get acclimated to the wide receiver position, Lee was left with a disappointing rookie campaign. Lee would end up with 37 catches for 422 yards and only one touchdown.

Lee was overshadowed much in 2014 due to the emergence of both Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Allen Robinson would be the Jaguars top wideout despite playing in only 10 games, and Allen Hurns outperformed Lee as an undrafted free agent.

Coming into 2015, there was a lot of promise among this Jaguars offense with Lee healthy. The core of Bortles, Robinson, Hurns, and Lee were another year older and many were expecting big things from the Jaguars offense.

However, right at the start of training camp this season Lee pulled his hamstring yet again and missed all of preseason and into week 1. He would make his debut in Week 2 against the Dolphins, and we were able to catch a glimpse of his ability, as he hauled in a few crucial passes. Again though, after the Jaguars week three games against New England, Lee was sidelined with hamstring concerns.

Since then, Lee has yet to make an appearance and there really isn’t much evidence of the second year receiver returning anytime soon.

In only a year and a half into the league, Lee’s injury problems are starting to frustrate the coaching staff, with offensive coordinator Greg Olson publicly criticizing him for missing so much practice according to Jon Benne. Olson said seeing Lee on the practice field was like seeing an albino tiger at the zoo.

In addition, a lot of the fans are growing impatient with the former Heisman finalist. Often the butt of jokes on the team’s message board. Fans have called Lee soft as baby food and said there is a better chance that Justin Blackmon is back before Lee. Funny because it’s unlikely that Blackmon will ever play again.

Bortles, Robinson, and Hurns are all thriving this season in their second year. All three are on pace to break numerous Jaguar records. Still, you have to wonder what the offense could be with Marqise Lee.

Jaguars general manger David Caldwell says (via Ryan O’Halloran), “Marqise, obviously, has a different dimension that we’re missing right now. He has the ability to change the way defenses play us because he can stretch the field, he has dynamic speed and he can take a five-yard slant and take it 80 yards.”

Lee is reminding us a lot of former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor. Taylor was hampered by injuries early in his career and being regarded as Fragile Fred. However, Taylor would silence his critics and remain healthy in the later stages of his career. Maybe the same will be said of Lee. We can only hope.