GoldandBlack.com's Purdue player draft: No. 21 overall
This summer, the Boilermakers are being divided.
Reporters Stacy Clardie and Kyle Charters are going head-to-head in GoldandBlack.com's Purdue player draft, a daily selection in which separate rosters of 25 are being assembled over the next two months. In late July, we'll decide — based on GoldandBlack.com staff and member feedback — which team would win.
Stacy starts a new week with No. 21 and takes ...
Bit surprised Kyle went with Matt McCann at No. 20, well above his value. But I suppose this whole draft has put offensive linemen well above their value, starting with my first pick.
So may as well continue the trend with picking another non-starter high.
Because it’s a guy I really want and if I have to reach, I’m OK with it: Because Bilal Marshall is a versatile player who very well could end up as Purdue’s starting outside receiver opposite DeAngelo Yancey by year’s end if Domonique Young doesn’t play to his potential.
Marshall is one of the smartest guys in the receivers’ room with his experience playing quarterback and, in his final season, he’s picked up the nuances of playing receiver that make him a guy who could earn snaps. He’s a relatively sure-handed player, too, and he uses his length well. He’s not as much of a deep threat as Purdue’s other outside receivers, but he makes up for that in his reliability, and he has good balance to slip tackles, put a hand on the ground and earn yards after the catch. Plus, Marshall can play either outside spots as well as slide into the slot.
And, as an extra special twist, he’s a Wildcat quarterback who can actually throw. So even though I have the other Wildcat guy, Markell Jones, and, of course a legitimate quarterback in Elijah Sindelar, Marshall provides even another option for my offense.
It’s nice to have some good weapons for Sindelar with three of the team’s top four receivers and the marquee running back, plus the starting left side of the line. Regardless of Kyle’s front seven, he still doesn’t have anybody who can cover that passing attack.
Would seem Kyle would have to grab Gregory Phillips next, right? I have no problems breaking the mold and going four-wide as my starting offense, which is actually more likely than his switch of a 4-3 base defense. And Phillips is an underrated player with fantastic hands and some breakaway capability.
Draft ticker: 1-20
More: Join the conversation & discuss the selections on our premium message board ($) | Hazell's focus is on 2016 ($) | Targets at Friday Night Lights camp ($) | California QB commits ($)
More: Purdue 2016 primer
Membership Information: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.