With Allen Robinson Out, Is It Time for Marqise Lee to Emerge for the Jaguars?

This Sunday the (1-9) Jaguars will face the AFC South's first-place (6-4) Colts heading down the final stretch of the regular season.

As the Jaguars prepare to match points with Andrew Luck, expect to see rookie wide receiver Marqise Lee getting some significant work in this offense. According to Jaguars’ offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, Lee is set to assume a big role in this offense now that fellow rookie wideout Allen Robinson was placed on injured reserve after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot.

Robinson has been one of Jacksonville's emerging stars on offense this season. He had 48 receptions for 548 yards and two touchdowns, outperforming veteran Cecil Shorts III and fellow rookies Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns.

The Colts have won the last four games in this head-to-head divisional matchup and despite being all but eliminated from the playoffs, the Jaguars’ young and inexperienced roster still has much to play for.

It’s important that these young guys, like Lee, finish strong so they can head into the offseason with a sense of optimism.

Marqise Lee was drafted by Jacksonville to infuse elite playmaking ability into an offense that has been declawed for longer than any Jags fans would like to think about. Judging by the attention paid to the receiver position in the draft this year, it was obviously a unit prioritized for immediate upgrades.

Lee was the first weapon they drafted to complement their new quarterback, Blake Bortles.  

During his collegiate years at USC, Lee won the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore as the country’s top wideout and was the Pac-12 offensive player of the year while catching a conference record 118 passes. He also scored 186 points in 36 games, a total only two D1 receivers (DaVante Adams, Cody Hoffman) from this draft class surpassed. His 3,801 yards from scrimmage is the second most of all the receivers entering this class, behind only Jordan Matthews. All things considered, Lee was the most productive receiver of the class.

At the combine Lee measured in at 6'1” and 192 pounds, while running a 4.52 40-yard dash. His physical tools are uninspiring and never anything to get excited about. Personally, I was a bigger fan of teammate Allen Robinson, who was drafted 22 spots after Lee, but there is still a lot to like about what Lee can bring to the table.

What made Lee such a special player, one worthy of the 39th overall pick in a draft class loaded with talented wideouts, was his ability to make guys miss in space and create plays on his own. It could be argued that no receiver in this draft class demonstrated more ability after the catch than Lee.

His instincts, paired with an uncanny ability to change direction when the defender least expected it, allowed him to thrive without elite size or blazing speed.

According to John Oehser of the Jags' official website, Shorts III spoke highly of Lee’s natural playmaking acumen stating he “has as much natural ability as any Jaguars wide receiver in recent seasons—with the exception, perhaps, of suspended receiver Justin Blackmon.”  

So far this season Lee has just 13 catches for 131 yards on 190 snaps. He was expected to be a big part of the offense this season, however, the second-round pick struggled with hamstring issues during the offseason and training camp. It’s safe to say his debut season has been nothing short of a letdown.

Name	Catches	Yards	TDS
Mike Evans	46	794	7
Kelvin Benjamin	52	768	8
Sammy Watkins	45	649	5
Jordan Matthews	44	562	6
Brandin Cooks	53	550	3
Allen Robinson	48	548	2

The good news is that Lee is just 22 years old and is finally getting completely healthy for the first time since putting on a Jaguars’ uniform.

"He's going to have to step up his game in terms of study habits and his preparation," Jedd Fisch said, per DiRocco's piece. "... I think it will be a great opportunity for him to roll. He'll have six weeks to really get in a rhythm and get going." 

Fisch also provided some insight on how they intend to incorporate him into the offense.

“The best way to utilize Lee is to get him the ball with quick throws and let him use his speed to make plays after the catch. They'll likely take a few deep shots with him, too, but the bulk of his work will be in the short passing game.” 

According to DiRocco, Lee “struggled to pick up the offense and had problems with route adjustments, knowing where he was supposed to be on certain plays, and running consistent routes. “

Starting Jaguars’ receiver Shorts III spoke about Lee earlier this week—per Oehser of Jaguars.com—and emphasized his teammate’s preparedness heading into the final games of the season.

"

He can definitely progress and do very well here,” Shorts said regarding Lee. “I’m excited to see him do well in the next six weeks. We all know he’d like to have more yards, more catches or what not. These next few weeks could be very big for him.

"

On paper it would appear everything is lining up perfectly for Lee to run with this opportunity and not look back.

The rest of this year should be seen as a great way for the rookie to gain some valuable experience without much to lose. This should take some pressure off and allow him to build confidence as he makes the difficult transition to the NFL.

Lee is currently listed as the No. 3 receiver for the Jaguars but don’t be surprised if impressive play catapults him into a starting role and a featured spot in this offense.

By 2015, I believe Jacksonville’s offense will be incredibly talented and stacked at the receiver position—especially with Justin Blackmon possibly returning to the team after indefinite suspension. The battle for playing time will be fierce by then. What Lee shows us during these next six games could be critical for determining his long-term role on this roster.  

Ryan Riddle is a former NFL player who writes for Bleacher Report.