Coming out of Hollywood Florida, Marquise Brown didn’t receive a single D1 college offer. He didn’t have much and had to work as a roller coaster mechanic at six flags while playing football before he received an offer from Oklahoma. Brown has always been the small kid, weighing in at 140 pounds in his senior season of high school, but he doesn’t play to that size. He was always challenged, doubted and criticized by many, and even after going in the first round to the Baltimore Ravens, people were still skeptical.
Heading into the 2019 NFL draft, Brown wasn’t considered a first round lock and wasn’t considered to be the best receiver by many. The Ravens asked quarterback Lamar Jackson who he wanted as his #1 receiver, to which he replied either Marquise Brown or Jerry Jeudy. The Ravens on the clock at pick 25, with no receivers yet to be taken, took Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, adding to at the time a very thin group of receivers in Baltimore. Looking at receivers that weigh what Hollywood does that have been succesful in the NFL, the list is very short, if existent at all. “I give respect to all the guys who came before, but I don’t think there’s ever been anyone like me,” Brown said, via Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report. “Nobody’s played like me at that size. Because I’m a receiver. They look at the small guys and think I’m just a gadget player. No, I’m a receiver. I can run every route. I know every defense. Guys get to the league, and they want to uphold this image that their way is the best way. I don’t think like that.” Brown after a somewhat succesful rookie season, looks to build upon it and become a unique type of receiver that is not only an elite deep threat but a guy that can threaten defenses after the catch on screens and being an intermediate target. “I’m going to make a statement this year,” he says. “A big statement.”
Brown was diagnosed with a lisfranc injury late in his final college season, and remained a concern and limitation for him throughout his rookie season. The injury is known as potentially career ending, but Hollywood wouldn’t let that stop him. He wouldn’t even let it stop him from having a impressive rookie season, which he played with screws in his foot that hampered him all throughout the year, including in the divisional round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans where he posted 7 receptions for 126 yards anfd 6 first down, along with an incredible over the shoulder one handed catch in traffic. This offseason, Brown got the screws removed, saying “I feel like I have a new foot.” Getting closer to 100% in his sophomore season should propell him into being one of the leagues most explosive receivers with true 4.2 speed. Brown continues to work out in the offseason with Lamar Jackson and with @the_footdoctor on ig, to build more strength, and set a goal to get his weight up to 170 pounds. Last year Brown says, “I was trying to run on my toe, but since I didn’t have the power there, it just shifted.” This year he won’t have that limiting him and it should allow him to breakout.
In a league where receivers like Tyreek Hill, Desean Jackson, Amari Cooper and Will Fuller are starting to find more success and become more valuable, Brown looks to become another premiere deep threat in the NFL. When you turn on the tape, the explosiveness jumps out as well as his change of direction, ball tracking skills down the field and he scares you whenever he has the ball in his hands with the chance to score. With Lamar Jackson coming off an MVP season, Brown looks to be the best receiver at his disposal, and with his great talent and skillset, I see no reason why he won’t become one of the leagues top deep threat and develop into a great all around receiver. The future is bright in Baltimore with the most dynamic athlete at quarterback the league has possibly ever seen, and Brown who just might be one of the most dynamic receivers in the entire league.
