2020 NFL Draft: Laviska Shenault receives Juju Smith-Schuster comp

Pittsburgh Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster is one of the elite offensive weapons in the NFL, and teams searching for a receiver with his skillset may find just what they’re looking for in the 2020 NFL draft.

Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault is one of the headline pass-catchers entering the 2019 college football season and is considered a strong bet to be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft because of his impressive skillset as a playmaker.

It’s hard to argue with draft analysts who have Shenault ranked at or near the top of their preseason wide receiver rankings. He’s a stud after the catch who evokes running back-like qualities with the ball in his hands. We’ve seen players like him enjoy great success in the NFL before, dating back to Anquan Boldin who starred in the league because of his ability to do so much damage not only as a route-runner but also as a guy who was so hard to bring to the ground once he had the ball.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has been running through the 2020 NFL draft’s potential wide receiver class and offered a really interesting player comp for Shenault.

“I love Colorado WR Laviska Shenault,” Jeremiah tweeted Friday. “He has outstanding size/speed/physicality. His competitiveness jumps off the screen. He run blocks, pass blocks (from the wing) and attacks defenders after the catch. He’s a combination of Mike Williams and JuJu.”

JuJu Smith-Schuster has quickly emerged as one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers in large part because of what he offers the Steelers as a technician running routes and his knack for great angles and making guys miss in the open field. When Smith-Schuster was a draft prospect in 2017, the player he was most often compared to was, in fact, Bolden.

Shenault had a fantastic 2018 season when he ended the year with 86 catches for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns. His numbers are even more remarkable when considering he played in just nine games. He was the beginning, middle, and end of Colorado’s offense all season long.

The issue with Shenault, however, is that he’s a bit of a gadget player right now. He reminds me more of Cordarrelle Patterson in what he projects as an NFL player. He isn’t the most talented route-runner and needs to develop that aspect of his game before he can be viewed as a receiver who can consistently beat NFL cornerbacks.

That said, his playmaking ability is undeniable and he’ll be one of the most exciting players to scout in 2019.