Laviska Shenault Jr. is one of the NFL’s more unique players. At 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, his build almost resembles a running back more than it does a receiver. But don’t be fooled, Shenault is a threat in the receiving game. As a rookie in 2020, he managed 600 yards and five touchdowns on 58 catches, and he was targeted 79 times. He made some contributions in the ground game, but it only added up to 91 yards.
Heading into Year 2, though, he can have a more defined role within the offense. With teams able to zero in on D.J. Chark, Shenault saw a lot of plays come to him in 2020. Now that the team has added a veteran in Marvin Jones Jr., Shenault can take off as a more specialized player.
According to former NFL wideout Nate Burleson, Shenault is a candidate to break out in 2021 (and listed ahead of several second-year players who were picked above him).
Fight My Five is back!@nateburleson's Top 5 Breakout WRs for 2021.
Have at it, Twitter. pic.twitter.com/8IoUHCpR1S
— GMFB (@gmfb) June 7, 2021
Shenault is a YAC machine, earning nearly half of his total receiving yards (298) after the catch. Now that the team has Travis Etienne, the 25th overall pick in the 2021 draft, it has two players with a lot of versatility on offense (though Etienne still projects more as a running back than receiver).
Given coach Urban Meyer’s knack for finding productive roles for athletic, playmaking receivers like Percy Harvin and Curtis Samuel, Shenault should play a major role this fall.