The Jaguars were able to get an explosive receiver in Laviska Shenault with the 42nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
A three-star recruit out of DeSoto, Texas (a Dallas suburb), Laviska Shenault burst onto the scene with an emphatic 2018 campaign, cruising to First-team All-Pac 12 status on the strength of a mammoth 86-1,011-6 receiving line for the Buffaloes. That year he ranked fourth in the nation in receiving yards per game (112.3) and was also the only player in FBS to register at least five rushing and receiving scores. Unfortunately, injuries caught up to the 21-year-old jack-of-all-trades, who labored through a sluggish 2019 and continued his freefall with an equally underwhelming Combine performance (he tanked the forty with an embarrassing 4.58). Shenault shares many of the traits that have made similarly built receivers A.J. Brown and Cordarrelle Patterson successful on the pro circuit, though how his body responds to NFL punishment remains to be seen.
Measurables: 6’1”/227
School: Colorado
2019 Stats: 56 catches, 764 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns, 13.6 yards per catch, 23 carries, 161 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns
Accolades: First-team All-Pac 12 (2018), Second-team All-Pac 12 (2019)
Strengths: Shenault looks the part of a workhorse running back and often played like one at Colorado, compiling 280 yards and seven touchdowns as a collegiate ball-carrier. Versatility has long been Shenault’s calling card. The Buffaloes used him all over the formation, affording him snaps at every receiver position, tight end and even the occasional QB rep out of the Wildcat alignment. A contested catch artist, the lumbering 227-pounder plays a uniquely physical brand of football. Shenault broke an astounding 44 tackles over his final two seasons in Boulder, pacing all NCAA receivers during that span. Shenault has also shown a nose for the end zone, at one point enjoying a six-game touchdown streak during his sophomore breakout.
Weaknesses: Shenault’s physicality can be a bit of a double-edged sword. His smash-mouth leanings and overall recklessness may explain why he's often hurt, tending to foot, shoulder, toe and core injuries as an undergrad with the latter three necessitating surgery. Shenault operated as a high-volume target at Colorado, but his dual-threat nature puts him at risk of being pigeonholed as an NFL novelty. His statistical nosedive in 2019 and dismal forty time in Indy also warrant concern.
Player Comparison: A.J. Brown
A downfield scientist with a doctorate in play-making, Shenault has all the makings of A.J. Brown 2.0. Both are built like rhinos, compact and brick-solid with equal parts strength and savvy. Like a freight train barreling down the tracks, you don’t want to get in their way.
What Experts Are Saying
“He is a thickly built receiver who plays the game the right way.” – Charlie Campbell, Walter Football
“Shenault is so tricky to defend because he can pop the top off the defense whenever he's sent on a fly route, but you have to simultaneously be cognizant of all the damage he can do around the line of scrimmage and in the intermediate sector.” – Thor Nystrom, Rotoworld
“He's a high-end talent, but not a sure thing.”– Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram