By Jordan Long
It is the last day of the NFL Combine. This is a chance for college prospects to show NFL teams what they can do in drills as well as being interviewed to help franchises create draft boards. One athlete needs to have surgery, wide receiver Laviska Shenault.
Shenault entered the Combine after spending 3 years at the University of Colorado. During his time in Boulder, Colorado, he totaled 149 catches for 1,943 yards and 10 touchdowns, an average yards per catch of 13. He was one of the fastest players on the CU roster. His speed allowed him to create space from defensive backs to be open. When Shenault had the football, he made defenders miss in the open field. When he was finally brought down those were gains for first downs or longer.
Shenault wasn’t just involved in the passing game. Colorado used him in wide receiver sweeps or reverses. He totaled 42 rushing attempts for 280 yards and 7 touchdowns. His average yards per rush was 6.7.
His problem heading into the Combine was staying healthy. Sure he had the speed to become an NFL wide receiver, but injuries didn’t allow him to show what he could do on the field. Shenault missed time in 2018 due to surgery on his toe and shoulder. Teams were hoping his injuries were behind him. Even with those concerns, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Shenault as the 5th best wide receiver on his board.
Shenault didn’t do much at the combine but participated in the 40-yard dash. His 40 time was 4.58. The reason he couldn’t do more at workouts at the Combine was a core muscle injury and inflammation of the pubic bone. With that, Shenault is going to have surgery to repair the core muscle. It will sideline him 6 to 8 weeks. He is expected to miss the University of Colorado’s pro day which will be before the NFL Draft.
According to CBSsports.com, Shenault said, “I wasn’t able to train for everything because of my injury. I had to do a lot of resting and rehabbing. But I was only able to train for the 40.”
These past injuries may scare some franchises from drafting him. When healthy, Shenault is one of the best, if not the top receiver in this years’ class. Teams must use his tape from college and decide if it is worth the risk to draft him. If not, teams are going to pass on him. Shenault may even fall in the draft because of these concerns. Shenault should still be selected and hopefully he has a chance to prove he belongs in the NFL.
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