Draft Prospect Profile | WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado
Laviska Shenault Jr.
Height: 6-foot 1
Weight: 227 lbs
Grade: Junior
School: Colorado
Shenault has substantial size with a muscular frame featuring muscles on muscles. He has a thick lower body and possesses very good athletic traits, despite his underwhelming 4.58 40-yard dash at the Combine.
Shenault is a smooth moving, explosive player that offensive coordinators need to feature one way or another. He is the type of player coaches should just find a way to get the ball into their hands, whether that’s through the passing game, or in a similar way to what the 49ers do for Deebo Samuel.
Shenault’s game is versatile. He has the size, body control, strong hands, release off the line of scrimmage, and boundary ability to play the “X” while also possessing the movement skills, explosiveness, and acceleration to play the “Z” role.
Shenault comes off the line of scrimmage hard and fast, with an explosive nature. He has a first and second gear up his stem and can sink his hips in and out of routes.
If defenses play off coverage, he’s liable to beat them with his quick stop/start or ability to plant outside foot and drive inside on slants/digs. If the defense presses him, he has the footwork and hand skill to defeat press, while releasing in a direction, gaining leverage, and stacking on solid cornerbacks. He’s sudden at the line of scrimmage and up the stem while incorporating subtle head and shoulder fakes to keep defenses honest.
There's a lot to love about what he brings from a ball tracking standpoint: locates, adjusts, concentrates, and uses his strong hands to be physical at the catch point. Shenault's ability to create YAC is impressive in space, and he has the playmaking agility to force missed tackles in space, while also possessing the physicality to run over defenders who attempt to tackle him.
Shenault is an aggressive player that isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and block in the run game; he did see some misjudged angles when crack-blocking and creating the seal on end man on the line of scrimmage blocks.
He can have the occasional concentration drop, which tends to happen on the easier plays.
An issue with Shenault is injury, which is one reason why he didn’t test at the combine other than the bench press and a disappointing 40-yard dash. He reportedly has a nagging injury in his pubic bone, which has caused inflammation and which might require surgery.
He dealt with the core injury for most of the season, and it, beside inconsistent quarterback play, could be one reason why the production wasn’t as impressive. He also played through 2018 with a turf toe injury that required surgery.
Why He’s a Fit
Once thought of as a top 25 lock, Shenault has now seen a public dip in perception due to the combine and just the mere fact that this wide receiver class is uber deep.
The Giants are in search of a true “X” type receiver. Shenault easily fits that role and would excel. His level of competitiveness would fit in well with new head coach Joe Judge.
I believe the Giants have way too many holes to replenish on this roster to invest at wide receiver early heavily, but if there’s a trade back, and more picks are acquired, then Shenault would be an interesting option if he slides.