Former Arkansas defensive lineman Jonathan Marshall was the only Razorbacks player selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Marshall, a team captain in Sam Pittman’s first season at Arkansas, was drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round on Saturday with the No. 207 overall pick. His selection marks the third consecutive draft in which the Razorbacks have had a defensive lineman taken.
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The Denver Broncos drafted McTelvin Agim in the third round in 2020, and the Minnesota Vikings took Armon Watts in the sixth round in 2019. Marshall (6-3, 310) is the fifth Arkansas defensive lineman to be drafted since 2017.
"Explosiveness at the snap isn't bad," said ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. "Hand placement isn't good enough right now. I think that's the issue with him. He shows ability to get in the opponent's backfield on occasion with power and some athleticism. As a pass rusher, he lacks polish.
"There's something to work with there."
Marshall, who had 37 tackles in his first three college seasons, emerged last fall to lead the Razorbacks’ defensive line with 35 tackles, 4 hurries and 6.5 tackles for loss, which tied for second most on the team. He had a season-high six tackles and one sack in a controversial 30-28 loss at Auburn.
In the midst of Arkansas’ SEC-only schedule in 2020, Marshall tallied at least one tackle for loss in six consecutive games, including 1.5 at Florida.
Long said to be the strongest player in the program, Marshall recorded 36 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at Arkansas’ pro day this spring. His 40-yard dash time was clocked between 4.75 and 4.90 seconds.
“Marshall is quick with outstanding upper-body strength and excellent timed speed,” ESPN draft analyst Steve Muench wrote. “He has good size and gets good initial pop, but he has shorter arms, gets stuck on blocks and gives ground.
“He needs to develop his array of pass-rush moves.”
Razorbacks quarterback Feleipe Franks and running back Rakeem Boyd went undrafted. Both players were considered late-round possibilities.