Laviska Shenault: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: WR
School: Colorado
Class: Junior
Date of Birth: October 5, 1998
Height: 6-1 Weight: 227lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time: 4.58
Speed Score: 103.2 (78th-percentile)
Burst Score: Incomplete
Agility Score: Incomplete
Catch Radius: Incomplete
SPARQ-x: Incomplete
Bio
Laviska Shenault was a three-star recruit (WR73) coming out of high school despite never stepping on a football field until he was in ninth grade. He didn’t even play wide receiver until his senior season (he was a tight end grades 9-11). Still, he received offers from 16 different schools, including LSU, Alabama, Colorado, UCLA, Arkansas, and Oklahoma State. He ultimately landed at Colorado where he played minimally as a freshman but broke out in his sophomore season (age 19) with a 33.76-percent share of Colorado’s passing production and a 30.04-percent dominator rating. With 86 receptions for 1,011 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and 115 rushing yards and an additional five scores, Shenault was named team MVP and selected first-team All-PAC-12. Shenault led the nation with 9.6 receptions per game and ranked fourth with 112.3 receiving yards per game.
Shenault underwent toe surgery in December 2018 and shoulder surgery in February 2019. His junior season was riddled with more injuries as he dealt with a core injury, concussion, and an undisclosed injury in 2019. He was able to play in 11 games, though, hauling in 56 receptions for 764 yards and four touchdowns with 23 rush attempts for 161 yards and two scores on the ground. Shenault accounted for 26.73-percent of Colorado’s passing production and was named second-team all-conference.
See Where Laviska Shenault Lands In Our 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
Colorado took advantage of Shenault’s incredible combination of size, speed, strength, and skill, developing him into a versatile weapon that can strike from anywhere on the field. In addition to playing various wide receiver positions, including in the slot and as a tight end, Shenault spent time in the backfield as a wildcat runner where he broke several long runs over his career.
College Stats
Laviska Shenault College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com
Positives
+Physical after the catch
+19.9 (Sophomore season) breakout age (66th-percentile)
+42 career rush attempts for 280 yards and seven touchdowns
+35.1-percent (68th-percentile) Dominator
+Caught nine or more receptions in seven-of-nine games in 2018
+Size
+78th-percentile Speed Score
+Strength
+Lines up all over the field including in wildcat
+Strong Hands
+Three-level threat
+Ball Skills
+BMI
Negatives
-12.7 YPR (23rd-percentile)
-6.2-percent drop in target share from sophomore to junior season
-Injuries/durability
-Underdeveloped route-running/Release
-Underwhelming as a blocker
-19th-percentile Hand Size
Highlight Reel
Best Comparable Player (PlayerProfiler): A.J. Brown
NFL Draft Projection: Day 2 pick.
Laviska Shenault casually putting up 425 x 3 on squat this summer. Makes sense why he breaks so many tackles.@VicLombardi pic.twitter.com/qD4MIAMtRW
— CapWize (@CapWize) October 9, 2018
Bottom Line:
There are concerns about Shenualt because of his injury history and he even left the NFL Combine after his first 40 with an apparent injury. In fact, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Shenault is scheduled for surgery on March 3 for a core muscle injury that he played through in 2019. He will be sidelined for four to six weeks. But, a strong case can still be made for Shenault as one of the better wide receivers in the 2020 draft class. He has an incredible combination of size, speed, and strength that will translate into a versatile role at the next level. NFL teams will have a field day moving Shenault all around the formation, including in the backfield. He could have a similar year-one impact as Deebo Samuel.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, NFL.com
