Colorado Football: Is Laviska Shenault still worth first round NFL draft pick?

Laviska Shenault was being heralded as a do-it-all receiver. After an injury-filled season, is the Colorado football star worth a first-round pick?

Laviska Shenault was a relatively unknown name heading into the 2018 college football season. However, after being a do-it-all player for the Buffalos, everyone in the nation knew who he was.

Shenault is the definition of a Swiss army knife player, as a receiver, runner and the occasional pass. He was the vocal point of an offense that seemed to get better each week. Much was expected of Shenault heading into the 2019 season and he was being hyped as a first-round talent in a loaded 2020 receiving class.

Unfortunately, he was bugged by injuries throughout 2019 and was not able to replicate the same success and was not the playmaker that college football fans were accustomed to seeing.

On top of that, he also had a disappointing NFL combine and his stock continued to drop. Shenault is a player that has a lot to prove and he is one of those players that is at a big disadvantage due to the novel coronavirus taking away private workouts, because he has seen his stock fall a bit this offseason.

Shenault arrived at Colorado as a three-star recruit out of the state of Texas and while his stats were not great, he evidenced his big play ability by averaging 24 yards per reception.

And 2018 was Shenault’s coming out party as he turned in 86 catches for 1,011 yards and six receiving touchdowns and led the entire FBS with 9.6 catches per game and was the only player in the country that had five receiving and five rushing touchdowns. He was a big-play threat on the ground in 2018 as well, carrying the ball for 17 times for 115 yards and five touchdowns.

Whether it was lining up on the outside or in wildcat formation running the ball, Shenault was a threat to score the ball from anywhere on the field and one of the best receivers in the country. He was thought to be an All-American candidate and future first-round pick but a nagging injury hurt his production and he just did not look like the same productive player from 2018. Shenault finished the season with 56 catches for 764 yards and four touchdowns and carried the ball 23 times for 161 yards and two scores.

Shenault has actually been underrated heading up to the draft and he’s one of my favorite players.

Strengths

Shenault may have ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, but his game speed is much different and he is a threat any time that he touches the ball. He’s versatile and can move around in an offense and either play inside or outside. He separates well from defensive backs and is fluid in and out of his breaks. He has has very good hands and rarely uses his body to pull the ball in.

Weaknesses

The biggest weakness right now is his injury history. He had a nagging injury during the season and then was hurt at the NFL combine and it hurt his performance and draft stock. While Shenault was productive in college, he only had one really good season at Colorado and had just over 1,000 yards. Are those the kind of numbers from a first-round pick and No. 1 receiver in the NFL? For a guy that has a reputation as a big-play threat, Shenault only averaged 11 yards per reception last season.

Draft Expectation

Shenault is a tough prospect to evaluate. He has very good traits that can make him successful at the next level. He has game-breaking speed and is a big-play threat with the ball in his hands and he is a physical receiver that can win matchups against man coverage. Shenault needs to prove his injury history is a thing of the past and that he will be able to stay healthy for 16 or more games during a season. He will be a steal for whoever gets him.

Projection: Second round