Marqise Lee: Jaguars WR has Rookie of the Year Potential

Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee might be a candidate for Rookie of the Year honors in 2014. He’s flying a bit under the radar to start the season, but as we progress a bit further throughout the year, Lee might have a shot to be one of the best rookies to take the field. It’s safe to say that he should be watched as a player who could take home the award at the end of the regular season.

Impressive pre-season performance

Lee showed up in a big way on Thursday night against the Bears. He was able to prove that the strength and hands he possessed in college at USC were still alive in a big way.

Chad Henne was able to connect with Lee four times on Thursday, picking up 27 yards that included an impressive touchdown catch. Lee was able to use leg drive and balance to break a tackle and get in the end-zone in the red-zone.

Lee didn’t notch any receptions in his first pre-season outing, so Jaguars fans were certainly relieved to see their second-round pick on the field and making plays.

Depth chart sets up well

Lee couldn’t have gotten into a better situation than the one he’s currently in Jacksonville. With a weak depth chart that has just Cecil Shorts as a solid threat, Lee is one of three rookies that will be getting time, something that bodes well for his chances to put up some ridiculous stats.

Chad Henne and Blake Bortles will be able to get the ball to the former Trojan, it’ll be up to him to capitalize. If he can do that, his weekly stat sheets could be looking fairly impressive as we journey through the season.

Effort not an issue

Rumors surfaced after the first pre-season game that the thought within the Jaguars organization was that Lee looked a bit “lazy” in his NFL debut. And while those rumors were quickly snuffed out, Lee proved against the Bears that he’s all-in and ready to roll in the big leagues.