The Dallas Cowboys locked up Amari Cooper, signing him to a five-year, $100 millioncontract with $60 million in guarantees. While the top of the receiver depth chart is secure there are some serious questions with the depth of the position. He returns to combine with Michael Gallup as one of the league’s most exciting young duos. After losing starting slot receiver Randall Cobb to the Houston Texans (three year $27 million), though, there is a hole in the slot that will need to be addressed in free agency or at some point in the draft. Behind the top two receivers is Jon’Vea Johnson, Ventell Bryant, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Lance Lenoir, Devin Smith, and Noah Brown; a collection of late round selections with some upside to develop, veterans, and core special team players.
There is a need to find young wideouts capable of impact in the slot and with versatility to play on the outside if they were to suffer injury.
Lucky for the Cowboys this is a great year to be in the market for a receiver as this could be the deepest draft class we potentially have ever seen. This class has a variety of different skills, size, and ability. There is surely a receiver that will fit what the Cowboys may be looking for in this draft class.
Here are five of the top prospects, where the Cowboys may have to draft them, and how they fit.
Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado
Originally from DeSoto, TX the 6-foot-1, 227 pound receiver has made the University of Colorado home for the past three seasons. Shenault is a receiver with a running backs frame and play style. He is difficult to bring down in the open field and is a physical runner. He has good ball skills and attacks the ball once its in the air. He can be a chest piece for an offensive coordinator as he can be used in the slot, on the perimeter, with jet sweep action and as a move guy. Shenault has plenty of skill at the position but at the moment he is more playmaker that pure receiver as he will need to continue to develop as a route runner. Shenault finished his Junior season with 56 receptions, 764 yards, four touchdowns, 23 carries, 161 yards, and two touchdowns.
Shenault would be an excellent fit with this Cowboys offense as he has played in the slot as well as on the outside and could add another element of physicality to the offense. He also offers up value as a return man with play making traits. Shenault is recovering from a core muscle injury that could push him down the board some with the depth of this class. Pick 51 would be great value for Shenault if he is available.
“2 Live” is both talented and stoic as a three-level threat with outstanding physical traits and ball skills. He offers explosive playmaking potential with strength/wiggle to house a short catch-and-run throw or race and leap to pull in a bomb downfield. Shenault shines as a phone-booth bully who’s able to body up and create late windows while securing throws with vice-grip hands. Evaluators get excited by his talent as a direct-snap runner, but sometimes he’s too physical for his own good, which could bring his history of durability into play. Despite his traits and talent, there is work to be done as route-runner and coordinators need to determine how best to use him. He’s a high-end talent, but not a sure thing. An exciting ceiling but a lower floor.
Laviska Shenault checks nearly every box you’d want from a high-end wide receiver prospect entering the NFL — minus production. Shenault’s physical ability is jaw dropping and should transcend a dysfunctional offense at Colorado. Shenault possesses the explosiveness, physicality, short area quickness, hands and linear speed to become a high volume alpha receiver at the NFL level. He’s capable of defeating press on the boundary and should produce immediately.
Perhaps the trait that stands out the most about Shenault is his toughness. He is a thickly built receiver who plays the game the right way. Many wideouts with Shenault’s strength and physicality are prone to pushing off of defensive backs, but Shenault has enough quickness to get open, and when he gets the ball in hands, he is special with the way he dodges and weaves by defenders while running through arm tackles. Shenault is very physical with defensive backs to power through tackles and get yards after contact. Cornerbacks really struggle to get him on the ground, and he is dangerous with his ability to produce quality gains on bubble screens and other easy completions because of his run-after-the-catch skills.