Keith Marshall NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Redskins Rookie

POSITIVES

Keith Marshall blew the doors off the NFL Scouting Combine with the best 40-yard dash of anyone in attendance. His 4.31 official time announced that Marshall, who is finally healthy, is ready to take on the NFL.

Marshall was talented enough to play as a true freshman at Georgia, and what the coaches saw there was excellent speed, balance and natural instincts as a runner. Marshall is blessed with ideal bulk for the position at 219 pounds and has the strength to carry tacklers past first contact.

With sprinter speed, Marshall can also take those broken tackles—or juked defenders—and turn them into big gains. He's an explosive home run hitter once he gets past the first wave of defenders. If you want a true second-gear runner, Marshall is that guy.

When asked to read the line and get upfield, he shows good football intelligence and instincts. He can move laterally with patience and wait for the play to develop before hitting his stride and going for broke.

The Georgia offense didn't often include Marshall as a receiver (five catches in the last two years), but in workouts he's showed good hands and a natural feel for the role.

NEGATIVES

Injuries are the big factor. Marshall tore his right ACL as a sophomore in the fifth game of the 2013 season and tried to return to play in three games during the 2014 season. With a knee that wasn't fully healed, Marshall didn't return at 100 percent until 2015.

His 253 carries in college amount to a good season's worth of work for most SEC backs. The injury history will be heavily evaluated since Marshall only played in eight games in 2013 and 2014.

Vision and the ability to diagnose on the go are question marks for Marshall. He doesn't show consistent urgency with the ball in his hands and isn't an ideal fit for a power-blocking scheme because of it. Marshall's body control and leverage are not ideal, and he needs coaching to help him learn to run with low shoulders and equal weight distribution. As it stands, Marshall is too easily brought down on initial contact from arm tackles because his chest is directly over his feet.

The team that rolls the dice on Marshall will be betting his knee holds up—and will base the selection largely on what he did in workouts and not what he's done on the field since injury.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 5'11 3/8"

Weight: 219 lbs.

40 Time: 4.31s

3-Cone: 6.98s

Short Shuttle: 4.25s

PRO COMPARISON: C.J. Spiller, New Orleans Saints
FINAL GRADE: 5.90/9.00 (Round 3-4—Quality Contributor)