Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
The wait is almost over for the NFL Draft and the Las Vegas Raiders have been doing an immense amount of homework on all the top wide receiver prospects. Many have suggested the team is going to use their first first-round pick on either CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs. While those three appear to be the best players at the position, the Raiders aren’t above surprising everybody.
Last year, almost everybody expected the team to take Josh Allen with the fourth overall pick, but they decided to pick up Clelin Ferrell, which nobody saw coming. They could surprise everybody once again this year and go after a wide receiver nobody expects them to. One name to keep an eye on is Laviska Shenault out of Colorado.
Teams are doing late-draft zoom calls with players this week as they finalize plans.
Jets are meeting with OT Mekhi Becton, while Raiders are meeting with WR Laviska Shenault.
While crazier things have happened, it’s almost impossible to imagine the Raiders select Shenault with the 12th pick. He was originally thought to be a first-round pick but appears to have fallen down draft boards. If the Raiders trade into the second round, they could pick him up there if they like him.
Analysis of Shenault
Shenault had a very productive sophomore year at Colorado, but his stats fell off a bit last season. He’s also got an extensive injury history that’s going to scare off a lot of teams. Vic Tafur of The Athletic did an analysis on the wide receiver:
“Boom or bust? A big-time playmaker who has had a lot of injuries (foot and shoulder surgeries before a core muscle procedure in March) and needs a lot of coaching on his route running. Shenault runs like a running back and has good hands. At Colorado, he lined out wide, in the slot, in the backfield as a running back and wildcat QB and as a tight end.”
Shenault is simply too risky to justify using a first-round pick on. He could be a star, but he could also go the route of Kevin White. If the Raiders are able to trade back into the second round, he’d be a very enticing prospect to go after.
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Other Sleep Wide Receivers to Watch
If the Raiders do go wide receiver at 12, it’s very likely going to be Lamb, Jeudy or Ruggs. However, there are a lot of wide receivers in the draft who could turn out to be stars in the NFL. Michael Pittman Jr. out of USC likely won’t get picked in the first round. He’s definitely got WR1 potential, but he’s not the fastest guy in the draft. If the Raiders are looking for someone with more speed, there are plenty of other options.
Jalen Reagor out of TCU could get taken in the first round and while his 40 time at the NFL Combine wasn’t particularly impressive, he apparently ran a 4.22 at his pro day. If true, that would make him faster than Ruggs. It would be exciting for Las Vegas to get one of the top three wide receivers in the draft, but there’s plenty of talent later if the team values other needs more.
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