NY Jets: 4 players who could pull a Shohei Ohtani and play both ways
By Justin Fried
3. Jonathan Marshall, DT --> FB/TE, NY Jets
Unlike some of the other entries on this list, Jonathan Marshall doesn't necessarily have two-way experience — at least not at the collegiate or NFL level.
But what he does have is the unmatched athleticism to find some degree of success no matter where you line him up. So why not deploy the uber-athletic Marshall as a secret offensive weapon?
Marshall is a defensive tackle by trade, but one look at his athletic profile would lead you to believe he could play a skill position.
Despite standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing over 310 pounds, Marshall ran a blazing 4.81 40-yard dash at his pro day and posted absurd numbers in the broad and vertical jump.
Just take a look at his Relative Athletic Score which ranked second among all defensive tackles since 1987. Second. Out of 1,309 players.
But fear not, Marshall does have experience playing on offense. When he was in high school, his team frequently deployed him as a fullback, tight end, and even running back.
His high school coach, Chip Keel, detailed his role in the team's offense and how players would quite literally get out of the way when he was coming toward them.
"It was almost impossible for a high school offensive lineman to block him. He led our team in (rushing) touchdowns as a senior. He was a 4.7-second 40-(yard dash) at 270 pounds and strong. We started handing him the ball as the tailback and people just moved out of the way. They didn’t want any part of that. He caught balls for us, caught touchdown passes, and ran for touchdowns."
- Chip Keel
That was high school, sure. But imagine handing the ball off to a 310-pound Mack Truck running full speed?
Yeah, this one would be fun.