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The Seattle Seahawks just upgraded their receiver group, with a particular emphasis on special teams, by signing former second-round pick Laviska Shenault Jr. The addition could be particularly helpful following the revised NFL rules aimed to increase kickoff returns.
“The Seahawks are signing WR/KR Laviska Shenault, per his agents @davidcanter,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo detailed in an April 2 “…The former second-round pick of the Jaguars heads to Seattle after two seasons with the Panthers.”
Shenault spent the last two years with the Carolina Panthers but is better known for his first two NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The wideout’s best statistical pro season came in 2020 when Shenault posted 58 receptions for 600 yards and 5 touchdowns during 14 appearances, including 12 starts.
Shenault was a standout collegiate player for the Colorado Buffaloes. The playmaker notched 86 receptions for 1,011 yards and 6 touchdowns for Colorado in 2018. Shenault’s most valuable asset may be his ability to return kicks.
New Seattle Seahawks Receiver Laviska Shenault Was the No. 42 Overall Pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
Heading into the 2020 NFL draft, Shenault was a highly touted prospect given his versatility, proudction and playmaking ability. The Jaguars selected Shenault in the second round with the No. 42 overall pick. Prior to the draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein praised Shenault for his “explosive playmaking potential” as well as the versatility the receiver displayed.
“[Shenault] is both talented and stoic as a three-level threat with outstanding physical traits and ball skills,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile on Shenault. “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,” Zierlein continued.
“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.”
Seahawks News: Seattle Has a Deep Group of Wide Receivers Heading Into 2024
It remains to be seen whether the Seahawks plan to utilize Shenault at receiver or primarily as a return specialist. Seattle’s top three receiver spots are expected to once again be locked up by DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith Njigba.
This leaves Shenault and several other receivers battling for snaps behind Seattle’s big three wideouts. Shenault joins returning receivers Jake Bobo, Dee Eskridge and Dareke Young who will be fighting for playing time at the position.
The Move Puts Added Pressure on Wide Receiver Dee Eskridge in 2024, Says Analyst
Eskridge has been unable to live up to the lofty expectations that come with being a former second-round selection. Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith believes the addition of Shenault puts even more pressure on Eskridge.
“As general manager John Schneider noted last month at the NFL annual meeting in Orlando, Seattle has been reevaluating personnel on special teams as a result of the recently passed rule change on kickoffs,” Smith detailed in an April 2 story titled, “Seahawks Sign Ex-Panthers WR/KR Laviska Shenault. “With the number of returns expected to go up, bringing in an explosive athlete of Shenault’s caliber to compete for a roster spot in that capacity makes a great deal of sense.
“With Shenault on board looking to jumpstart his career with the Seahawks, even more pressure will be on former second-round pick Dee Eskridge, who recently had his contract restructured to save a bit of cap space after not catching a single pass in a suspension and injury-riddled 2023 season.”
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