The New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs were among the teams connected to former USC wide receiver Marqise Lee, but all elected to pass on him the first round.
The mystery pertaining to why Lee went undrafted Thursday has been solved.
According to TFY Draft Insider Tony Pauline, Lee slipped because of “red flags on his injured knee.” Lee played his last season with the Trojans through a knee condition, which resulted in a decline in his production.
Teams were reportedly concerned over the injury and whether Lee is at full health now. Still, Pauline expects Lee to come off the board quickly once Round 2 begins and could eventually be “the steal of the draft.”
Per Pauline:
During the season there were whispers the condition of his knee was worse than USC was letting on and in recent weeks there’s been talk teams were concerned over the injury. At the same time most will have to admit if returns to full health Lee could be the steal of the draft. Don’t forget, Lee was rated higher than Sammy Watkins on most boards prior to the 2013 season.
The Houston Texans lead off the second round and have reportedly been fielding calls in regards to the 33rd overall pick.
Teams that passed on Lee — perhaps the Jets, Eagles, Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers — could be in the mix for him sometime in the round.
Lee could also be a target of the Cleveland Browns, who passed on a wide receiver to select cornerback Justin Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel with their first two picks in Round 1. The Browns pick third in Round 2, and were reportedly targeting both Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans in the weeks leading up to the draft.
The Oakland Raiders could also hoping Lee falls to them at No. 36. The team needs to provide quarterback Matt Schaub with some weapons other than Rod Streater and Denarius Moore. The team scooped up linebacker Khalil Mack with its first-round selection.
The Jacksonvile Jaguars, too, could be in play at No. 39, as well as the Seattle Seahawks who have yet to pick. The Seahawks traded the 32nd overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings, who drafted quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
