20/20: Laviska Shenault

Bruce Matson

Welcome to the 20/20 series. As part of our continued Dynasty Scouts coverage and in preparation for the NFL Combine, we profile 20 of the top incoming rookies of the class of 2020 by giving you 20 facts you must know.

1.) Player name – Laviska Shenault

2.) College – Colorado

3.) Height/Weight – 6’2’’, 220 lbs

4.) Birthdate – 10/5/1998 (21 years old)

5.) Class – Junior

6.) Basic college stats:

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Courtesy of sports-reference.com.

7.) NFL Draft round projection – Shenault is going to be drafted anywhere between the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft. He should easily be a top-100 pick and is more than likely going to hover around the top-50. There is a chance that he goes in the first round. All it takes is one team to fall in love with him for him to see a major increase in draft capital.

8.) Current NFL comparison – There really isn’t a player in the NFL that currently compares to him. I’ve seen comps ranging from Sammy Watkins to Julio Jones. I don’t think either of those players fit the bill. If anything, he has the size of Alshon Jeffery, but is a competitor after the catch much like Golden Tate in his prime.

9.) Best possible destination – Seattle would be an interesting landing spot for Shenault. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett will consistently stretch the field, allowing him to work the underneath routes. The Seahawks have experienced a lot of instability at the tight end position. A big-bodied receiver who can work the short-middle routes across the middle of the field would be a major asset to the team’s offensive game plan.

Lockett will turn 28 years old in September. He is signed with the team through 2021, but his decrease in dead-cap will make him a cut candidate if his production slips. Shenault would be a building piece for the future. His skill set would compliment what Metcalf can do on the field.

Seattle will eventually need to up the tempo in the passing game. When this happens, all of the pass-catchers will benefit from the extra volume. Shenault’s ability to do work after the catch would provide an added element around the goal line and in short-yardage situations. He’d just add another facet to the team’s dynamic.

10.) Worst possible destination – From a fantasy perspective, Dallas wouldn’t be a good fit. Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper command close to 50 percent of the target share. The short to intermediate targets won’t always be available for him. He would be the third wheel in an offense that wants to feature Ezekiel Elliott.

Shenault is a very good player and he could be fantasy relevant in this offense. However, even at his peak, he would need Dallas and Cooper to part ways in free agency for him to maximize his potential and be a consistent fantasy option.

Jason Garrett is gone and there’s a chance the team attempts to lessen Elliott’s workload, opening up more opportunities for the pass-catchers to eat. There’s a lot of negative ambiguity for a third receiver in this offense, and it’s hard to remain positive when the team already has their stars in line to be focal points of the offense.

11.) Best current skill – He is the most physical player after the catch in this draft. He turns into a running back when he gets the ball in his hands. He will not hesitate to run through a defenders face. It’s fun to watch and should instantly make him a crowd favorite. There’s more than just power to his game, he can also stack moves together and gain extra yardage with short-area quickness.

12.) Skill that needs to be improved – We need him to polish his route running and add to his route tree in order to take a step forward at the next level. It’s not a detriment to his long-term player value, but he is oozing with potential and if he can improve his route running then he could develop into one of the top wide receivers in the league.

He relies on his strength and size a lot when he releases from the line of scrimmage. If he learns to mix in some footwork and utilize his agility, he’d add an extra layer to how he can beat the defender off the line.

He’s not a bad route runner. However, he would benefit by breaking off his routes a little tighter, creating a little more separation and allowing him more room to make things happen after the catch.

13.) Past/current rookie ADP – He currently has a rookie ADP of 9.40, making him a later first-round option in rookie drafts. Unless he tumbles in the draft, we should see him get selected in this range quite often come rookie draft season.

14.) Projected dynasty value – He’s going to be a trendy mid-round pick in startup drafts this off-season. Even if he doesn’t break out during his rookie season, his dynasty value should stabilize for quite some time. In the right situation with the correct volume, he has the potential to be a WR1. More than likely, he will hover around the WR2 range throughout the majority of his career.

15.) Recruiting profile – He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school, ranked 73rd among all wide receivers in his draft class. Even though he was just a three-star recruit, he still received offer letters from 16 different schools, including Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Oklahoma State and UCLA.

16.) Market share:

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He broke out as a 19-year-old sophomore with a 33.76 percent market share of Colorado’s passing production and a 30.04 percent dominator rating. He followed that performance with a 26.73 percent market share of his team’s passing production for his junior season. It’s easy to see just by looking at the numbers that he has been a key contributor to the offense for the last two seasons.

17.) High school accolades – During his junior season he caught 27 balls for 477 yards and three touchdowns. He then posted 46 catches for 825 yards and nine touchdowns during his senior season. That year he helped lead DeSoto High School to a 16-0 record and a Class 6A Division two state championship.

18.) Late start – Shenault didn’t start playing football until the ninth grade. He started his career as a tight end and didn’t make the position switch to wide receiver until his senior season.

19.) Injury history – In 2019 he dealt with a core injury, concussion and an undisclosed injury. In the previous season he was hampered with a toe injury that disrupted his play for several weeks. He eventually had surgery to repair the injury.

20.) DLF rookie ranks – DLF has him ranked as the WR6 right behind Henry Ruggs and a spot ahead of Justin Jefferson. Overall in the top-50, DLF has him ranked as the tenth player off the board. Just like his ADP, DLF has him valued as a late first-round selection in rookie drafts.

bruce matson