Touchdown Wire’s mock draft 4.0: Anticipating trades and surprises
In Touchdown Wire’s mock draft 4.0, trades alter the strategy of several teams, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the heart of the action.
Tag: Laviska Shenault
Touchdown Wire’s mock draft 4.0: Anticipating trades and surprises
In Touchdown Wire’s mock draft 4.0, trades alter the strategy of several teams, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the heart of the action.
NFL mock drafts can take on a variety of forms. You can see a predictive mock draft, where the author assembles selections based on what he or she expects to see happen. You can see a what I would do mock, where the author makes selections based on what they would do with each pick.
Touchdown Wire’s 2020 Mock Draft 4.0 for blends the predictive with the suggestive. While the majority of positions for each team are predictive, there are some suggestive elements based on scheme fit and potential usages for each player upon arrival in the league.
So sit back, pour your #QuarantineLife drink of choice, and enjoy.
Howie Roseman, Eagles appear to be going all-in on WR at 2020 NFL Draft
Philadelphia Eagles to focus on WR at the 2020 NFL Draft
The Philadelphia Eagles appear to be all-in on acquiring a young game-changer in the NFL draft after passing on the likes of Amari Cooper, Robby Anderson, and Breshad Perriman.
Despite having the necessary compensation, Howie Roseman passed on trading for DeAndre Hopkins or Stefon Diggs because of the lingering contract dispute both players would have been engulfed in.
The Eagles have firmly drawn their line in the sand and the 2020 NFL Draft is where Howie Roseman and company will land Carson Wentz’s next set of weapons.
We spoke earlier, about the Eagles possibly double-dipping in the draft, coming away with multiple players at the wide receiver position.
There will be several teams in the draft targeting quarterbacks, edge rushers and left tackles, with only the Giants, Jaguars (two 1st-round picks), Jets, Raiders (two 1st-round picks), 49ers, Broncos and Dolphins (two 1st-round picks) all possibly coveting a wide receiver in the first round.
The Eagles are not going to get Lamb, Jeudy, or Henry Ruggs by standing pat at No. 21, and the team could miss out on Justin Jefferson if another team trades up in front of them.
Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk, Laviska Shenault, Denzel Mims or Penn State’s KJ Hamler could be options as well, and the Eagles will clearly target another wideout in the second or third rounds.
Even if the Eagles grab the player they covet, guys like Chase Claypool, Michael Pittman Jr., Jalen Reagor, Van Jefferson, K.J. Hill, and others should be possibilities on the second night of the draft if the Birds truly want to be successful.
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2020 NFL draft: WR Laviska Shenault NFL draft profile
Steelers Wire draft profile featuring Laviska Shenault (WR, Colorado)
During Laviska Shenault, Jr.’s three seasons with the Colorado Buffalos, he accumulated 1,943 yards on 149 receptions and 10 touchdowns. He also ran for 280 yards and added another seven touchdowns on the ground. On special teams, he returned a punt 55 yards for a score as a freshman and a kick 54 yards for a score.
Those numbers lead many to believe that Shenault is the most versatile receiver in the 2020 draft. Early mock drafts projected Shenault to go in the first round. Due to durability issues and questionable production, however, his stock may fall. It’s inevitable that players get injured – it can happen to any player at any time. Were the receiver’s modest collegiate stats could be due to the lack of a playmaker at QB? Should Shenault land with a team with a pass-heavy offense, we’ll get our answer.
Shenault possesses key attributes of a successful receiver – speed, explosiveness, and physicality. The areas that need to be developed – route-running, ball-tracking, and blocking – can be honed through experience and proper coaching at the pro level.
Laviska Shenault | WR | Colorado
Height | 6-2
Weight | 220
Class | Junior
It’s no secret that the Steelers love to draft receivers. Since taking over as general manager in 2000, Kevin Colbert has selected 22 receivers – only 2003, 2004 and 2011 were receiver-less drafts.
The Steelers have depth at the position; however, with JuJu Smith-Schuster set to become a free agent in 2021 and inconsistent film from Dionte Johnson and James Washington, Pittsburgh may want to snag the top-rated Shenault with its first pick (49th).
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Prospect for the Pack: Colorado WR Laviska Shenault
Breaking down the draft profile of Colorado WR Laviska Shenault, a potential pick for the Packers in the 2020 draft.
The Green Bay Packers must use the 2020 NFL Draft to provide the finishing touches on a team that won 13 regular-season games and got within one game of the Super Bowl during Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach.
Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect fitting the Packers’ roster needs.
Up next is Colorado receiver Laviska Shenault:
What he can do
– Calling him a receiver is an injustice; should have his own position labeled ‘offensive weapon’ due to his versatility
– Chose Colorado over other notable schools such as LSU and Alabama, among others
– Extremely bulky for a receiver; weighed in at the NFL Scouting Combine at 6-1, 227
– Lined up all over the offensive formation; ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ receiver, running back, H-back, and yes, even quarterback
– Two words can be used to describe him: shifty and explosive. His short-area quickness is impressive. Good luck getting him down in the open field 1-on-1
– Strong lower body allows him to easily run through arm tackles. PFF credited him with 29 broken tackles in 2018 and 15 in 2019
– Piled up 2,223 scrimmage yards on just 191 career touches (11.7 yards per touch). Had 77 touches for 925 scrimmage yards in 2019; an astounding 393 yards came after contact
– Strong at the catch point. Caught 14-of-22 contested catches over the past two seasons
– Route running is unpolished. Colorado schemed a lot of production for him in the form of screens, smoke routes, slant/flat route concepts and manufactured running plays
– Willing blocker in the run game and on screens
– Can be overly physical after the catch. Needs to avoid contact in preventable situations
– Durability is a legitimate concern; dealt with a toe injury and torn labrum in his shoulder during the 2018 season, both of which required surgery. He will undergo surgery again to address a core muscle injury that nagged him during the 2019 season (four to six-week recovery time)
How he fits
The Packers lacked creativity when the passing game didn’t involve Aaron Jones or Davante Adams in 2019. Shenault would add an unpredictable element to Green Bay’s offense starting on Day 1. Not only would his presence open up opportunities for other players, but he’d pose a threat of popping off for an explosive run/catch on any given play. His versatility in being able to line up anywhere along the formation cannot be understated, either.
NFL comp
Has a similar style and build to the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel (6-0, 215) and the Titans’ A.J. Brown (6-1, 226), both of whom were rookie receivers in 2019. Each had a significant impact for their clubs in their debut seasons, combining for 2,072 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns. Both were YAC monsters; of their combined 1,853 receiving yards, 938 yards came after the catch. Like Samuel and Brown did for their respective teams, Shenault would provide the Packers with dynamic ability after the catch.
Where Packers could get him
Likely in the first round at pick No. 30. There’s a small chance Shenault could fall to No. 62, especially since his stock has been trending down since the NFL Scouting Combine, but it’s unlikely he’d fall past the mid-second round.
The NFL is a copy cat league, so teams could be eager to follow suit with how the Niners and Titans utilized their rookie receivers. Both Samuel (No. 36) and Brown (No. 51) were second-round picks. Depending on how the rest of the receivers fall in this year’s draft, Shenault could be picked as early as the late first round. The medical rechecks in late April will be crucial for Shenault.
Previous Prospects for the Pack
WR Tee Higgins
LB Kenneth Murray
LB Patrick Queen
WR Jalen Reagor
WR Justin Jefferson
TE Harrison Bryant
WR Denzel Mims
WR Brandon Aiyuk
WR/TE Chase Claypool
LB Zack Baun
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
OT Josh Jones
2020 NFL Draft: Bills take sixth WR in USA Today mock
Buffalo Bills select Clemson WR Tee Higgins in USA Today 2020 NFL Draft mock.
It was short, sweet and to the point, but USA Today thinks the Buffalo Bills could be picking Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins at the 2020 NFL Draft.
Like Bills observers, USA Today sees the Bills’ passing attack exactly as it is when describing the selection:
22. Buffalo Bills – Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson: This offense has the slot guy (Cole Beasley) and the speed guy (Smokey Brown) but could really use the big guy – Higgins is 6-4, 215 – to help provide sometimes scattershot QB Josh Allen a target with a large catch radius.
Also like fans of the Bills, this mock draft sees the Eagles as potentially a problem for the Bills. Like Buffalo, Philadelphia could use a receiver, too. With their pick right before the Bills, another popular selection for the Bills, Colorado wideout Laviska Shenault, is drafted by the Eagles.
Interestingly, the Bills don’t let the run of receivers taken before them scare them away from taking their man in this mock. In total, six are off the board before Buffalo picks, which could help push other talent down the board. Instead, the Bills stick to their WR need here and go with the big-bodied target that their offense didn’t have last season. Adding such a target could help Allen improve his deep-ball accuracy, the most concerning aspect of his game in 2019.
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2020 NFL Draft: Comparing 5 Saints mock draft scenarios
The New Orleans Saints are likely to draft a wide receiver early and bulk up the offensive line, if 2020 NFL Draft mock-ups are accurate.
It’s one thing to come up with a mock-up of the 2020 NFL Draft out of thin air; it’s something else entirely to step over to The Draft Network and give their mock draft simulator a spin — five times. That’s what we’ve done, setting the board to be automatically filled by their algorithm, revealing five different scenarios for the Saints.
So to be clear: there was no input from us in the selections, just the program making decisions based off predetermined team needs and the prospects that were available. It was an interesting exercise. Here’s who ended up wearing black and gold in each of the five simulations:
Scenario 1
- Round 1, Pick 24. Justin Jefferson, WR LSU
- Round 3, Pick 88. Jake Fromm, QB Georgia
- Round 4, Pick 120. Solomon Kindley, IOL Georgia
- Round 5, Pick 151. David Woodward, LB Utah State
- Round 6, Pick 183. D.J. Wonnum, EDGE South Carolina
Eat your heart out, SEC fans. The Saints ended up with an ideal number-two wide receiver, a potential quarterback of the future, and a starting-quality guard. Jefferson is almost tailor-made for the Saints offense and it’s encouraging that he was available in this first run. Fromm has been described as having some of the same strengths and weaknesses as Drew Brees (limited downfield passing ability but nice short-range accuracy), which is troubling considering he doesn’t have two decades of wear and tear in the NFL to explain his limitations. Kindley feels like a steal in the fourth round.
Woodward and Wonnum are nice depth, with Wonnum measuring out as one of the more-explosive linebackers at the combine (he recorded a 123-inch broad jump at 6-foot-5, 258 pounds), though he probably figures to play with his hand in the dirt as an undersized defensive end like Trey Hendrickson and Carl Granderson. Woodard is more of a marginal athlete, clocking the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, but that didn’t stop him from averaging 13-plus tackles the last two years at Utah State. He has a knack for finding the football, with six forced fumbles (and a recovery) and two interceptions in that same span.
2020 NFL Draft scouting report: Colorado WR Laviska Shenault
2020 NFL Draft scouting report: Colorado WR Laviska Shenault
Today’s prospect is a physically impressive and diversely skilled wide receiver who figures to be in the mix for the Lions’ second-round pick.
Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Buffaloes
Height: 6-1
Weight: 227 (from combine)
Athletic profile courtesy of Kent Platte
Pros
- Incredible ball skills. His QB play at Colorado forced Shenault to make catches away from his body, leading into traffic, adjusting to poor placement regularly. No receiver in this draft is better at adjusting to make catches on non-pinpoint throws.
- Toughness. Shenault plays wideout like a linebacker, overly physical and often dishing out contact rather than taking it. He’s great at contested catches as a result. Shenault is very difficult to tackle with his violent running style, size and attitude.
- Good feet. He’s not a speedster or blessed with outstanding quickness, but his feet allow Shenault to get separation. He changes his foot cadence well, exhibiting good foot frequency for a bigger receiver.
- Away-from-ball work. Shenault sells his routes and goes full-bore even when he’s not directly involved in the play. His blocking is above-average and he will crack inside on LBs without issue.
Cons
- Injury history. Shenault missed time in 2018 with turf toe. When he returned he suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder. He had surgery for both. Shenault also missed one game in 2019 with a strained oblique.
- Identified role. Shenault did everything for the Buffaloes offense and that leaves him less polished at any one role than a lot of his fellow prospects. His shallow experience at a lot of tasks might get trumped by players with a strong depth of experience playing outside receiver, or in the slot.
- Speed. Shenault is not a blazing vertical threat. That’s not his game or style of play, and he’s good at varying his speeds. But if a team is looking for a field-stretcher on the outside, he’s not that guy.
Overall
Shenault calls to mind the playing style of Anquan Boldin, a physical, sure-handed wideout with bulk and aggressiveness. He’s versatile and athletic enough to play inside or outside and even play some of the H-back/gadget roles in NFL offenses. While his long speed and agility aren’t optimal, Shenault has proven on film he can use his great feet and nuanced movements to get free. He’s a high-effort player that oozes leadership and intensity, a tone-setter.
There are durability concerns that are exacerbated by his physical style of play. He’ll face stronger and more varied coverages in the NFL and will need to prove his skills translate. There is a higher bust factor than normal that goes in hand with his injury history.
Projection
Where I’d take him: If Shenault is on the board at No. 35 overall, he needs to be a strong consideration for the Lions
Where I project he’ll be drafted: 25-40 overall
6 players whose draft stock fell after combine
Some players tested low athletically when it was not expected.
With the conclusion of the NFL combine, many players helped their stock for the NFL draft. Not all did.
Some hurt their stock at least a little. Who are those players?
Auburn DT Derrick Brown
Brown has great tape but testing very low athletically. His 8.22-second three-cone is in the first percentile of his position group. While mock drafts still have him going in or neat the top ten, unless he tests well at his pro day, he will likely see a slide on draft day.
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Broncos hope to get better at WR through the NFL draft
“There’s a deep class at wide receiver this year so we’ll continue to hopefully get better there,” Broncos GM John Elway said last week.
There are 24 wide receivers on Draft Wire’s big board of the top 150 prospects entering the 2020 NFL draft. This year’s draft is a deep wide receiver class and the Broncos are likely to take advantage of that.
“Obviously there’s a bunch of receivers as everybody’s alluded to,” Denver coach Vic Fangio said at the combine on Tuesday. Fangio went on to note that many pundits often dub certain positions as “deep classes” even when they aren’t.
“Whereas — it seems to me that wide receiver [actually] is a deep group because there’s people that you kind of have a liking for that might be there in most of the rounds,” Fangio said.
The Broncos already have one Pro Bowl wide receiver in Courtland Sutton but general manager John Elway wants to give quarterback Drew Lock a few more weapons.
“We’re always going to try and surround the quarterback with people that he can be successful with and also protect him,” Elway said Tuesday. “There’s a deep class at wide receiver this year so we’ll continue to hopefully get better there too.”
Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, Colorado’s Laviska Shenault, TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Clemson’s Tee Higgins and LSU’s Justin Jefferson are among the top WRs in this year’s class.
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