USC’s Marqise Lee could be Jets answer at receiver

Marqise Lee knows the question every NFL team thinking about drafting him was: What happened last season?

Lee, the wide receiver from USC, won the Biletnikoff Trophy in 2012 as the nation’s best receiver after catching 118 passes for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns. Last year as a junior, his numbers dropped to 57 catches, 791 yards and four touchdowns.

For Lee, the answer to this question is simple.

“Unfortunately I had an [knee] injury that I couldn’t control,” Lee told The Post on Monday. “That caused me to miss [three] games and didn’t let me perform to my potential. That’s really about it. I’m 100 percent now and I’m back to where I am. Nothing has changed. I’m going to come out and do what I’m supposed to.”

It’s possible Lee could get to prove that as a member of the Jets, who are looking for a wide receiver in this draft. Lee could be a target when they select 18th in the first round Thursday night.

The Jets have shown a ton of interest in Lee. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg attended Lee’s pro day in March and met with him privately both before and after the workout. The Jets then had Lee visit their Florham Park training center to get more information on the 6-foot receiver.

Marqise Lee of the USC Trojans carries 38 yards on a fourth quarter running play against the Arizona State Sun DevilsGetty

“They’re a great organization,” Lee said. “They made me feel at home and made it feel like a place you want to play.”

Lee, 22, has seen his stock drop, according to the draft experts, in this talented receiver class. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him as the fifth best receiver in this draft, 23rd overall. Mike Mayock of the NFL Network has him as the sixth receiver and 28th overall. So a receiver that was once viewed as one of the best in the class now sees himself being labeled as a late first-rounder by some.

“I feel like it’s part of the process,” Lee said. “There’s guys out there who critique the game and what everybody talks about is what they talk about. Me being a young player, I fully understand that. People say my stock dropped but I’m not really worried about it. I don’t really care about their opinions about my game.”

“I think I speak for everybody whose stock goes up and down. We know how good we are. We know what we can do. We plan on going to the league and producing as players.”

Where does he put himself?

“I feel like I’m one of the top guys as far as receivers goes,” Lee said. “I know we’ve got a lot of great receivers that are going to produce in the league. I feel like I’m up there at the top.”

One executive with an NFL team told The Post he sees Lee as having “inside and outside ability. I see him more of a No. 2 receiver than a No. 1, but a starter nonetheless.”

Todd McShay, a draft analyst for ESPN, said Lee is difficult to evaluate because he was “one of the most explosive players in college football” in 2012 but then dropped 12.3 percent of the balls thrown to him in 2013.

“It makes it very difficult to know who he is,” McShay said. “I think at worst he’s the fifth wide receiver taken. I know there are a lot of guys that still think he’s the third best receiver.”

Lee travels to New York on Tuesday for the draft. He might wind up staying a while if the Jets draft him.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Lee said. “If they do, I’ll go there and play my butt off.”