Terry McLaurin is the embodiment of the word “underrated” in the NFL. Despite not making the headlines too often, he’s earned himself high praise from the game’s elite.
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McLaurin slipped into the third round in the 2019 NFL draft, where Washington finally selected him. Coming out of Ohio State, he led his rookie class in receptions.
He improved in his second year, hauling in 87 catches for 1118 yards. At first glance, this doesn’t seem too exceptional, but when you look a little deeper, a possible limiting factor can be found.
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Richard Sherman Believes Terry McLaurin Needs a Better Supporting Cast
Appearing on the Cris Collinsworth Podcast featuring Richard Sherman, the 49ers cornerback had a lot to say about McLaurin. According to Sherman, the WFT WR is star, but is being held back by his team’s lack of options.
“If he had anybody else beside him and they couldn’t just double him and cloud him all the time he’d be special, but that’s the hard thing, they can’t find anybody else,”Sherman said. “They’ve got a bunch of guys who kind of flash, but he plays hard.”
“He’s one of the better up-and-coming wideouts in the league.”
When you think about it, Sherman makes an extremely valid point. In his 2 years in the league, he’s caught passes from 7 different passers, which is never an easy adjustment to make.
Moreover, Washington’s next two leaders in receptions were TE Logan Thomas and RB J.D. McKissic. Neither of these 2 players can really give McLaurin some room to work like another star wideout could.
If you’re a defensive coordinator prepping for Washington, you can afford to double Terry all night. At the moment, Washington simply lacks the firepower on offense.
And this is exactly what seems to be happening. Former Rams DC and current Chargers HC Brandon Staley said that he had a special preparation for Jalen Ramsey ahead of their week 5 game against McLaurin.
“(He’s) way faster than you think,” Staley said. “Really good after the catch, and then, I was like, guys, he runs hard, he’s not like some of these other ones that kind of float, and drift. I’m like, he’s running, and I think that guy is really good.”
