The 2020 NFL Draft is very deep at wide receiver, and the San Francisco 49ers should have interest. Even a small slip at the scouting combine could be very bad for the draft stock of that prospect. Laviska Shenault did not impress, and it could cost him.
One position we could see the San Francisco 49ers address at the NFL Draft is the wide receiver spot, which makes sense given how deep the draft is at the position.
It also makes sense, as the Niners did interview a few receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine after the drills. While this isn’t a spoiler as to who a team may take, they’re at least considering it.
Given there’s such a talented group of receivers, anyone who disappoints could find themselves falling quickly down the pecking order.
Colorado’s Laviska Shenault unfortunately was one such player.
Now let’s be clear, Shenault didn’t do anything to completely torpedo his draft stock. In fact in a different year with a less-talented group of receivers, he might not have even hurt it.
But with impressive performances left and right, Shenault was instantly handicapped when he decided only to record a 40-yard dash time and go on the bench press (for 17 reps) before skipping the rest of the drills.
Running it in 4.58 seconds isn’t an awful time, especially if he’s injured as some have suspected, but it wasn’t an impressive time that stood out at all. Running none of the other drills also gives scouts nothing to go on.
Adding to that, reports came through of concerns about his durability, which were prompted by the news Shenault will be undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. This isn’t an issue in of itself (recovery time is only six to eight weeks), but it means Shenault won’t be able to do any work at the Buffaloes’ pro day on March 11.
The bad 40-yard time can be explained by the injury, but his durability remains an issue. Walter Football reported (before the news on his surgery broke):
"One wide receiver who hurt himself at the NFL Scouting Combine was Colorado’s Laviska Shenault. Shenault only ran the 40 at the workout, and he while he had an official 40 time of 4.58, some team sources said they had a 4.60 time on their watch. However, an even bigger concern has emerged with Shenault at the combine, and that is the medical evaluation. Some teams have concerns about Shenault’s health status and his ability to avoid injury in the NFL.Over the past two seasons at Colorado, Shenault suffered a number of injuries that he played through and showed a lot of toughness being a short-yardage wild-cat running quarterback for the Buffaloes. While Shenault was hurt some in college, team sources say they have concerns about his current health status and if he is currently dealing with undisclosed injuries. They said there is an injury they suspect he could be dealing with, but are not certain. Shenault only running the 40 does not help to ease the concerns about his current health status.The combine medical re-check will be important for Shenault, and it would help him to work out fully at the Colorado pro day. He would also be boosted by showing good health status in other workouts and on pre-draft visits. The next few weeks are going to be critical for Shenault’s draft stock."
Shenault is undoubtedly a very talented athlete and can be an exceptional receiver in the NFL, but it now appears that he may fall out of the first round altogether.
It’s not all bad news, however, if 49ers fans are a fan of Shenault. The Niners could easily trade down to gain some draft picks and then pick Shenault as a second rounder. Shenault would be a very intriguing player to add to the 49ers receiving corps.
For now, however, Shenault is a player who gets a very significant knock to his draft stock.