Keith Marshall could be a sleeping giant for Washington
Keith Marshall was drafted by the Washington Redskins on Saturday evening as the NFL Draft came to a close.
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He was 11 picks removed from earning the title of Mr. Irrelevant for the 2016 draft, but with the 21st pick in the seventh round of the NFL draft, the Washington Redskins selected Georgia’s very own Keith Marshall.
The running back could have requested another year at Georgia due to his knee issues keeping him off the field much of his career with the Bulldogs. Instead, he opted to throw his name in with the rest of the young guns vying for a chance to extend their football careers.
Now, whether his decision will pay off or not is the question.
Yes, Marshall could have requested a medical redshirt with the NCAA so he could play with Georgia for one more season, but unless he was the Bulldog’s number one back, it wouldn’t have been worth it. Sony Michel and the rehabilitating Nick Chubb, along with the other fresh faces at Georgia like Tae Crowder and Elijah Holyfield, have that area covered. This year was Marshall’s year to go, and he had a statement moment on his way to the draft that put him on the radar for many teams, especially when it came to proving he is an able back for the foreseeable future.
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He ran the 40-yard dash in a combine-best 4.31 seconds. NFL teams across the country suddenly saw Marshall in a new light. He may have struggled with his knee throughout college, but the 5-foot-11 running back proved in that moment that he possesses one trait all teams need in their running backs: pure speed.
According to ESPN, Redskins coach Jay Gruden said of Marshall, “There’s no substitute for speed.”
No one knows at this moment if Marshall will have a successful career in the NFL, but the onlookers and observers know he will try to do just that.
He has trained since the end of his final season with Georgia for this very moment, his chance at the big time. The work ethic he has exhibited and continues to exhibit will be the key to him becoming an every down back for the Redskins, if he makes their final roster later this summer.
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With Marshall, it seems like an all or nothing situation. It is likely that he will either push himself and work hard to earn a spot on the Redskins’ team come fall, or he will fade away along with his efforts.
It’s hard to see him doing the latter with the work ethic he has exhibited through the years, but stranger things have happened to young men pursuing their dreams in the league.
One thing is certain: with his speed and burning desire to become a successful professional football player, Marshall can become that every down back for the Redskins.
He could be the sleeping giant, offensively, for a team that wants to repeat as NFC East champions and push themselves further to a Super Bowl in the next few years.
You can see all of the Georgia Bulldog players taken in the 2016 NFL Draft here.