First-Round Receivers Take Center Stage at Pro Days

After impressive showings by Florida's Kadarius Toney and LSU's Terrace Marshall on Wednesday, Minnesota's Rashod Bateman will test on Thursday.

Bill Huber | Apr 1, 2021

GREEN BAY, Wis. – There are three potential first-round receiver targets for the Green Bay Packers in this month’s NFL Draft. Two had pro days on Wednesday and the third will have his pro day on Thursday.

Florida’s Kadarius Toney, who would an instant-impact player in the slot and as a returner, measured 5-foot-11 5/8, ran his fastest 40 in 4.39 seconds, and posted a 39.5-inch vertical jump, according to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy.

Toney is coming off a fantastic senior season. He caught 70 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns, rushed 19 times for 161 yards and one touchdown, and averaged 12.6 yards per punt return with one touchdown and 21.6 yards on a handful of kickoff returns.

It was a monster season after playing in only seven games due to injuries in 2019.

“It’s just really the mindset that evolved over the time I was injured,” Toney said during the season. “It just made me look at a whole different aspect of the game and what I got to do to get better and how to improve myself. I just took that and focused on what I needed to focus on.”

LSU’s Terrace Marshall is more of a perimeter player, with the size and speed that’s in line with general manager Brian Gutekunst’s three receiver picks in 2018. He measured 6-foot-2 5/8, ran his 40 in 4.40 seconds and had a 39-inch vertical jump, according to Nagy.

With receiver Justin Jefferson and quarterback Joe Burrow off to the NFL and star receiver Ja’Marr Chase a COVID opt-out, Marshall caught 48 passes for 731 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games in 2020. He opted out of the final games of the season.

“I just need to go out and show them everything I've got, not leave nothing on the field,” he said before his workout. “I have a lot to prove – always have – but I'm just excited to go out there, prove who I am, prove I can play at the next level, and prove I'm an elite receiver. I'm not looking for anything specific; I'm just going to go out there and be me and perform.”

Up next is Minnesota’s versatile Rashod Bateman. Listed at 6-foot-1 by the Golden Gophers, he said he broke a 4.40 in the 40 during his predraft training.

Bateman had a monster sophomore campaign with 60 grabs for 1,219 yards (20.3 average) and 11 scores to earn first-team all-conference and third-team All-American honors in 2019. He caught 36 passes in five games in 2020 before opting out of the remainder of the season after Minnesota’s game against Wisconsin was canceled due to COVID.

“What separates me from everybody is that versatility on the field,” he said before his workout. “Versatility to be able to play inside and out and be able to produce the same amount of numbers and score the same amount of touchdowns. You’re just going to be getting a great teammate overall, you’re going to be able to get a hard worker. If not the hardest (worker) in the room, one of the hardest workers in the receiver room. You’re just going to get that dog, someone who takes advantage of the opportunities you’re given and don’t take it for granted. Overall, a great person, great leadership, I’m going to make everyone around me better.”

Also on Thursday, Oklahoma State will host its pro day. Potential Day 2 receiver target Tylan Wallace will be the star attraction. Wallace suffered a torn ACL in 2019, had a big season in 2020 and allegedly ran a 4.39 in the 40 during his predraft training.

Published Apr 1, 2021

BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.