Ask Farrell: Is WR Marquise Brown a first-round selection?

Marquise Brown was arguably the most electric and exciting receiver in college football last season, racking up 75 catches for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns, helping lead Oklahoma back to the College Football Playoff.

He was – and still might be – projected to be the first receiver drafted somewhere in the first round. But Brown missed the NFL Scouting Combine after surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury and now there are questions whether others, most notably Ole Miss’ D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown along with Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry and others might be the taste of the day.

“In terms of Marquise or “Hollywood Brown”, 166 pounds and then he had the surgery, he would have been a first and now he’s borderline,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said.

“You don’t know how it’s going to shake out. He played like a first-round pick when he was healthy. I liked Marquise Brown all year. When he’s at 100 percent and there’s no injury, he’s one of the best 20-25 players in this draft. You add the factor of the injury into it and that pushes him down just a little bit.”

Another factor to consider on Brown: No one under 5-foot-10 and only four players among the top 15 in receiving yards in the NFL last season were shorter than 6 foot. The only receiver in the top 10 under that size was Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.

We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell if Brown is worthy of a first-round grade even after the foot injury.

“I like Brown and Harry a bit better but I would take Brown over Metcalf and some others. I think he’s a late first-round talent. Smaller receivers are hard to check and he can do a lot of good work out of the slot or even outside. You worry about durability because of his lack of size but you have to take a chance on a kid this talented. He’s a true deep threat, he’s great after the catch and he’s a difference maker when healthy.

"Give me a couple of bigger guys ahead of him but not many, and someone should nab him late in round one.”