Dolphins sign former standout LSU receiver. Where WR room now stands
The Dolphins ultimately bypassed the chance to draft All Pro receivers JaMarr Chase and Justin Jefferson several years ago. (Weeks before the 2021 draft, they traded down for a pick that ultimately yielded Jaylen Waddle instead of leaving themselves positioned to draft Chase. That was a year after Miami picked Austin Jackson over Jefferson in the 2020 draft.)
But on Wednesday, they signed Terrace Marshall Jr., the talented No. 3 receiver from that loaded 2019 LSU national championship team that was quarterbacked by Joe Burrow.
Marshall has had a disappointing career since Carolina drafted him in the second round, 49th overall, in 2021.
Marshall caught 17 passes for 138 yards as a rookie, 28 for 490 (and his only NFL touchdown) in his second season in 2022, and 19 for 139 in 2023 before the Panthers waived him the following August.
He spent time with the 49ers and Raiders practice squads in 2024 but suited up only for Las Vegas, catching three passes for 41 yards in seven games and one start.
He spent much of last season on the Eagles’ practice squad.
His NFL resume includes 67 catches for 808 yards in 43 games and 17 starts.
When he came out of LSU, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein assessed him this way: “Big, fast and talented, Marshall has the ingredients to become a solid starter in the league but has some questions to answer. With the departure of Justin Jefferson and with Ja’Marr Chase opting out, more targets and more shaded coverage ended up coming his way until he opted out at the end of November. He looks much more comfortable outside than he does in the slot, and he’s a more reliable ball-catcher when he’s working the second and third levels.
“He’s a natural ball-tracker with a second gear and the catch radius to go get it, and his size gives him an advantage on 50-50 balls. For all of his talent, Marshall seemed disinterested at times in 2020 and wasn’t always committed to finishing his routes or running them with consistent intensity. There are traits and talent at his disposal, but the difference between becoming a WR2 and a WR3/4 could be determined by how hard he’s willing to work at his craft.”
Despite missing three games with a fractured toe, he was a major factor for the 2019 LSU championship team, catching 46 passes for 671 yards (14.6 per) and 13 TDs. Marshall, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson each caught more than 10 TDs for LSU in 2019.
He started the first seven games of the 2020 season, leading the team in receiving during that time (48 receptions, 731 yards, 15.2 average, 10 TDs), before opting out for the remainder of the season and turn pro. He is the great nephew of deceased former Chiefs running back Joe Delaney, who drowned in 1983 trying to rescue three children at the bottom of a pond.
Marshall becomes the second-highest draft pick on the Dolphins roster, behind only first-round pick Jaylen Waddle.
Miami now has five incumbent receivers under contract for next season: Waddle, Malik Washington, Tahj Washington, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Theo Wease Jr. Westbrook-Ikhine, who is due no guaranteed money for 2026, could be released in the weeks ahead.
Dee Eskridge and Cedrick Wilson Jr. will become unrestricted free agents next month.
