Player Bio:
Marquez (mar-KWEZ) was an all-state pick from St. Petersburg, Fla., who helped his future USF teammate (cornerback Rodney Adams) win a state track title for Lakeview High as a senior. He decided to go to North Carolina State in 2013, however, making an impact there as a freshman with three starts in 10 games played (22 receptions, 281 receiving yards, missed two games with an injury). Valdes-Scantling played in all 13 games with the Wolfpack in 2014, starting the team's first eight games (22 receptions, 257 yards, one touchdown). His lack of action in the second half of the year due to a change in the team's offensive scheme, caused him to transfer back home to USF. He redshirted in 2015 as a transfer student, then exploded on the scene in 2016, starting all 13 games and covering 415 yards and scoring five times on just 22 catches (18.9 yards per reception). Valdes-Scantling set a record for the young program with 879 receiving yards in 2017, leading the team with 53 receptions and scoring six touchdowns.
Analysis By: Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst
Draft Projection: Rounds 6-7
NFL Comparison: Charone Peake
Overview:
Height, weight, speed prospect with intriguing deep ball capabilities as a big field stretcher. Valdes-Scantling is a work in progress who hasn't learned how to create leverage within his linear routes and doesn't have the ball skills he will need to win downfield. He's probably not ready to help a team just yet, but his issues may be correctable so he's worth a Day 3 selection as a stash-and-coach prospect.Strengths:
- Possesses size and speed traits evaluators look to develop
- Pushes off the line of scrimmage with good forward lean to build momentum into downfield routes
- Long strider with build-up speed that eventually overtakes most cornerbacks
- Saw 26.4 percent of his catches go for 25-plus yards
- Poor deep ball placement from his quarterback prevented more easy touchdowns
Weaknesses:
- Routes lack sharpness and consistent play speed
- Gives away stop routes prematurely
- Slow to gather and redirect in space
- Anchors on hitches and curls rather than working back to the throw
- Too much body catching
- Hands are small for his size and he suffers from focus drops
- Gets deep but his ball skills down the field are lacking
- Fails to utilize size to gain position
Sources Tell Us:
"His issues look coachable to me. You don't know what he was being taught, but he's big and can run so you take that and then just get those routes right." -- Former NFL Pro Bowl receiver
