The Jacksonville Jaguars gave quarterback Gardner Minshew another target by selecting Colorado receiver Laviska Shenault in the second round of the NFL draft Friday.
Jacksonville took Shenault with the 42nd overall choice in hopes that he will emerge as a passing threat opposite Pro Bowl receiver DJ Chark. The Jaguars released Marqise Lee earlier this week, leaving them with three wideouts – Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole – entering the final year of their contracts.
The 6-foot-1 Shenault had core muscle surgery following a lackluster performance in the NFL combine. But he could fit nicely in Jacksonville, which is moving to a west coast offense under new coordinator Jay Gruden and wants quicker passes intended to allow receivers to make plays after the catch.
Shenault led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 9.6 catches a game last year and ranked fourth in the nation with 112.3 receiving yards a game. He caught 86 passes for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns for Colorado. He also scored on five of 17 carries, making him the only player in the country to have five rushing and receiving touchdowns.
His father, Laviska Shenault Sr., died in July 2009 from injuries suffered when he was hit by a car on the side of a highway after he had exited his vehicle to switch from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat. His mother, Annie, survived West Nile Virus.
The Jaguars pick again in the third round Friday, No. 73 overall. They still have plenty of holes to fill, most notably at defensive tackle where they opted not to pick up an option in Marcell Dareus’ contract last month.
General manager Dave Caldwell already took a big swing at rebuilding a defense that was considered one of the best in the league just a few years ago. He chose speedy Florida cornerback CJ Henderson with the ninth overall pick and added versatile pass-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson at No. 20.
It was the fourth consecutive year that Caldwell used his first two picks on players from the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. The previous ones: LSU running back Leonard Fournette and Alabama left tackle Cam Robinson in 2017, Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan and LSU receiver DJ Chark in 2018, and Kentucky defensive end Josh Allen and Florida right tackle Jawaan Taylor in 2019.
