Mel Kiper Jr. projects Nick Marshall as a defensive back

AUBURN -- Nick Marshall may have a future in the NFL but it's almost definitely not going to be at quarterback.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. sees Marshall as a defensive back, a position be played while at Georgia in 2011.

"He's a defensive back and I think the Pro Day and he can be a guy that can showcase his ability in the secondary," Kiper said on a conference Thursday. "I always talk about quarterbacks projecting to receiver, he'll project into the defensive secondary and have a chance to be a later round pick."

Marshall has completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,315 yards with 18 touchdown and seven interceptions with 780 rushing yards and 11 scores this season. After an entire offseason of talk about Marshall's improved accuracy and footwork, he rarely exhibited those traits this season.

"You can see the toughness when he's running with the football and the athleticism, the feet," Kiper said. To me it's something you will look at and say OK, there's been some guys that have made the move to safety. Go way back to quarterbacks like Jack Mildren and Rex Kern, way, way back. To Scott Frost, to others that have developed into defensive backs. ... I could see (Marshall) in the fourth round, fifth-round mix as a DB."

Last month, Marshall said he was "open to play anything, but I'm looking to play quarterback" in the NFL.

Zone read offenses are becoming slightly more common on the pro level, but even those require far more traditional passing than Marshall has been exposed to at Auburn.

Several former prominent mobile collegiate quarterbacks have also transitioned to wide receiver in the NFL with mixed success, including Antwaan Randle El, Brad Smith,Denard Robinson, Jordan Lynch and Julian Edelman.

Whether an NFL team would consider the 6-foot-1 210 pound Marshall on offense remains to be seen.