Marlon Mack has been turning plenty of heads as a rookie this preseason, and head coach Chuck Pagano has taken notice.
You don’t often hear Chuck Pagano heap too much praise on his players, and especially not a rookie. But he can’t contain himself when talking about Marlon Mack‘s performance thus far in the preseason.
"“He’s a slasher, athletic, good vision. Whether he’s carrying the ball, catching it, protecting on third down, he’s got the size and toughness to pick up guys, he’s real talented. Reminds you of Jamaal Charles.”"
This is not the first time that Pagano has told the media how much he loves the Colts’ fourth-round rookie running back. The following quote is from three weeks ago:
"“He’s popping out there. He’s a talented guy. He’s showing great athleticism, great vision. We were doing one-on-one pass protection drills against the linebackers, and he’s physical. He’s got toughness. He’s not afraid to stick his face in there and pick up blitzers.”"
Pagano notes a multitude of attributes when describing Mack’s skill set including athleticism, vision, catching the ball, ball security, size, and toughness. If Mack is able to deliver in that capacity, he could be headed for the Hall of Fame.
The Marlon Mack hype train is at full speed heading into the regular season, and the Colts’ offense is going to need every single one of their playmakers to perform at a high level if Andrew Luck is forced to miss any significant time.
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To pour a little water on the fire, Mack still hasn’t played in an NFL game that actually counts, but his immense talent is obvious.
He’s easily the most explosive option in the Colts’ backfield, and he could make a push for the starting running back position over 34-year-old Frank Gore.