NFL Draft Board: Marshall a Sure 1st Rounder?

Richard Marshall has shot up on almost every NFL team's draft board looking for a playmaking cornerback. He is considered a top prospect in a draft loaded with defensive backs. He is listed as a top 5, or near top 5, on almost every draft preview publication at cornerback. ESPN's draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has Marshall rated the 25th best overall prospect on his board. New England is considering drafting Marshall with the 21st pick, but more likely destinations could be Chicago at No. 26 or Seattle at No. 31.

NFL draft expert Rob Curtis has been sharing his insight on the Silver and Black Illustrated and says Marshall is a first rounder despite his negatives.

Fresno State CB Richard Marshall is an interesting prospect. He has all the physical tools you look for in a CB with good speed, body control, fluid hips, and the ability to change directions quickly. At his best, he is an instinctive playmaker with good hands who jumps routes and uses well timed jumps to catch the ball at its highest point. He's also a pretty good tackler. At his worst, he still has a lot of work to do with playing within a scheme. He gets late breaks at time and loses position more than I would like. On numerous occasions, I think he takes too many risks. While he did very well against USC star Dwayne Jarrett, Oregon's Demetrius Williams made him look pretty bad. In my opinion, he is a first rounder despite being a little unpolished.