#11 Iman Marshall, CB, USC
I was really disappointed with Marshall when he was asked to take over the number one corner role for USC after the departure of Adoree Jackson after the 2016 season.
He was one of the most underrated defensive backs in the country in my opinion, but once he was pushed into a more prominent role his junior year, he seemed to not be ready for the challenge. That is why this week in Mobile was so crucial for Marshall’s draft stock.
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He has improved his work in press a lot, can recover and find the ball in the air. I really like the competitiveness and trust in his lower body he brought to the table. The four-year starter did a nice job using the sideline as help by guiding receivers into the boundary and not leaving them any space to work with or try to come down with the football.
He had an absolutely beautiful coverage snap in the actual game working against the star of the week Deebo Samuels, where he gained inside position and rode the receiver towards the sideline, turning and looking back to the quarterback, who ultimately had to overthrow his intended target.
While I still need to find out if there were any issues with him health-wise during that two-year stretch he played at a sub-par level, he really changed my mind on him going forward.