NFL Draft 2013: Marquise Goodwin Prospect Profile

Speed kills in the NFL, and in this year's draft class, Marquise Goodwin may possess the most of it. Goodwin has been a jack of all trades for the Texas Longhorns in his time with them. A kickoff and punt returner, as well as receiver, Goodwin will intrigue a lot of teams for his versatility alone. With Ted Ginn Jr. almost certainly gone next season, the 49ers will be keeping a close eye on Goodwin this weekend at the combine.

Pros:

- Olympic Athlete: You have to be a gifted athlete to be in the Olympics. Goodwin was a long jumper who advanced to the finals at the 2012 Olympics.

- Big play ability: A good example would be his 64-yard rushing touchdown and 36-yard receiving touchdown in the Alamo Bowl against a quality Oregon State defense. Anytime the ball is in his hands, there's a chance that play is going for a touchdown.

- Returns kicks and punts: he has been a returner throughout his time at Texas, so he has experience in this department.

- Fast, really fast: Fastest receiver at the combine, that's a pro right?

Cons:

Not polished: Goodwin only had 25 catches this season, and has never had more than 33 in a year. He also drops some balls in traffic and when he is wide open.

Route Running: Relies too much on speed and needs to use his brain more too. Must learn the subtleties of route running and learn to make every move a good one to gain extra separation. He certainly can get separation on speed alone, but he doesn't want to be Devin Hester or Johnny Knox. What's the point of having good speed if you never use it properly.

Size and Frame: Only 5'9 178 lbs. I don't care about this con too much though. Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith is 5'9 185 lbs and is tough as nails. Height and lack of height is what you make of it. You're either talented or not. I won't hold his height against him.

Do Your Homework:

Watch Marquise against Ole Miss and Oregon State (featured below):

Why He Might Fit The 49ers:

The 49ers might benefit from having a freakish speed guy on the roster that can return kicks and punts. He's not exactly polished as a receiver, but holy speed Batman, this guy can fly. I know the 49ers aren't the Al Davis Raiders, but this guy has the potential to make a lot of NFL players look very foolish. If you make a mistake on Goodwin, you will NOT be able to catch up. If Goodwin becomes a 49er, he also becomes hands down the fastest receiver on the team. Is that enough to warrant a selection? We'll see.

Why He Might Not Fit The 49ers:

Last year we dealt with a draft selection going through a learning curve, as A.J. Jenkins struggled to make an impact. I'm not sure if the 49ers will want to have another project on their hands. I remember in the Alamo Bowl, Goodwin ran a perfect route, was wide open in the end zone and dropped the for sure touchdown. Mistakes like that might happen all too often early on for Goodwin. If the 49ers are going to take on a project I doubt it will be in Round 3. That's where I project him to go right now, but teams fall in love with speed and that could boost his stock to Round 2.

What They Are Saying:

- Daniel Jeremiah has him ranked as the No. 1 player to be a star at the combine, and thinks he will run a sub 4.30 40 yard dash.

- Goodwin thinks he can run a faster 40 time than Chris Johnson did (4.24), and that's what he's aiming to beat.

- Check out his stats at cfbstats.com

Conclusion:

I don't care about Goodwin's 40 time at the Combine too much. I'm interested if he can break Chris Johnson's time, but whether he does or not he's still speedy as can be. What I want to see from him at the Combine is improvement as a receiver. He looked good at the Senior Bowl, but he has to keep it up. If he does show some promise as a pass catcher, I'd be more inclined for the 49ers to grab him. If he's there in the third, I wouldn't mind the selection. There is no way I would spend a second-round pick on him, and I don't think Baalke would either. Speedy players come and go. You have to have the right intangibles to go along with it. I hope he can show he is the "full package."