Assessing Laviska Shenault’s fit with the Jacksonville Jaguars

Laviska Shenault Jr. is officially headed to Jacksonville.

The former Colorado receiver was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round (No. 42 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he’s likely to assume a significant role early in his rookie season.

Here’s everything you need to know about Shenault’s new home:

THE ORGANIZATION

The Jacksonville Jaguars isn’t a program you dream of playing for.

There are plenty of reasons, ranging from their lack of historical success and their lone playoff appearance in the last decade to their lack of fan support, but the scariest part about the Jaguars right now is how they treat their stars.

All-pro cornerback AJ Bouye was traded this offseason and fellow all-pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey was traded during the season. All-pro defensive end Calais Campbell was traded during the offseason. Now, pro bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and star running back Leonard Fournette are reportedly on the trading block.

Part of the reason for these trades has been the players’ unwillingness to sign contracts to stay in Jacksonville.

Dante Fowler Jr., who the Jaguars drafted third overall in 2015 and then traded three years later, was fined $700,000 for missing 25 different offseason appointments, leaving him unwilling to sign. Eventually, the NFLPA proved that the appointments were not allowed to be mandatory and Fowler got his money back, but the NFLPA still sent a letter to all NFL players saying that 25 percent of grievances filed by players against teams were against the Jaguars and that players should consider that when signing with the team.

NFLPA won an arbitration grievance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Said Jags tried requiring players to get all offseason medical treatment at team facility, which contravenes the CBA. “You as players may want to consider this when you have a chance to select your next club.” pic.twitter.com/S1eyqqw8cg

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) December 16, 2019

That’s some ugly stuff, but the good news is that Tom Coughlin, the executive in charge of Jaguars player personnel is out of the building, though David Caldwell is back as general manager for his eighth season.

THE DEPTH CHART

There’s more good news here for Shenault than there was above.

Check out the veteran receivers the Jaguars are bringing back in 2020:

D.J. Chark
Dede Westbrook
Chris Conley
Keelan Cole

Then, the Jaguars added Shenault and big-bodied Texas receiver Collin Johnson in the draft.

This shakes out exactly as Shenault should want it too: There’s enough experience on the depth chart that he won’t be asked to do more than he is capable of as a rookie, but there’s nobody blocking him from significant playing time either.

In the long term, Chark and Shenault project as a high-end tandem at receiver, while Westbrook slides into the slot. Until then, Conley and Cole are more than capable of keeping Shenault out of unfriendly situations.

THE SCHEME

There’s a change coming to the Jaguars’ offense and it should be one that benefits Shenault.

Jay Gruden will be Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator in 2020 and he’s bringing his West Coast system with him. The former Redskins head coach, and brother of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, is a near-ideal match with Shenault.

Shenault is a receiver but he’s relatively unpolished for a second-round because of his usage as a utility weapon in Colorado’s offense. He needs to clean up his route-running and some of the finer points of playing receiver, and he needs to be protected until he does.

For Shenault, making plays on jet sweeps or as a ball-carrier out of the backfield will be crucial for the first year or more of his career, as he could struggle to beat NFL defensive backs until his technique improves. If his coaches can’t find ways to keep Shenault involved in the offense until he can consistently create separation when running routes, Shenault runs the risk of being mislabeled as a bust.

Gruden’s West Coast offensive scheme hasn’t matched the creativity of the 49ers’, Ravens’ or Chiefs’ West Coast offenses, but the bones of his scheme will allow him to be more creative going forward, especially with Shenault as a weapon.

Eventually, Shenault profiles as a relatively sharp route-runner with good feel for space against zone defenses, and his run after catch prowess will play up in a West Coast offense.