Laviska Shenault

The Jaguars traded Shenault to the Panthers late last August, and despite occasionally flashing his playmaking ability, he finished the campaign with only 27 catches (on 32 targets) for 272 yards and a touchdown in 13 games. While he also rushed nine times for 65 yards and another score, he could find his opportunities similarly limited in 2023. Carolina dealt No. 1 wideout DJ Moore to Chicago this offseason, but the team replaced him with veterans Adam Thielen and DJ Chark and rookie second-rounder Jonathan Mingo. As a result, Shenault may have to settle for spare involvement as a depth utility option.

A 2020 second-round pick, Shenault failed to take a step forward last year with the Jaguars and finished his sophomore campaign with 63 catches for 619 yards and zero touchdowns. Following his August trade to the Panthers, he won't necessarily have a clear path to a regular spot in three-wide sets in Carolina, but the 24-year-old will at least give the team a versatile weapon who's capable of lining up all over the formation. DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson are locked into starting roles on the outside, but Shenault should provide competition in the slot for Terrace Marshall, who is coming off a disappointing rookie season.

It’s hard to evaluate Shenault’s rookie season. For starters, he missed the better part of three games with a hamstring injury, and he also played in a dysfunctional offense with a struggling Gardner Minshew and an even worse Mike Glennon and Jake Luton. At 6-1, 227, Shenault is built more like a power running back than a wideout, and he actually took 18 carries for 91 yards in addition to his 79 targets. Shenault’s 4.58 40 time was below par, but he was battling a core muscle injury during the 2020 NFL Combine, after which he had surgery. This year, he’ll have competition for targets in both DJ Chark and newly signed Marvin Jones, but the Jaguars have no tight end of whom to speak, little depth beyond Shenault at receiver and should see a massive upgrade at quarterback with No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence.

Drafted 42nd overall this year, Shenault found a good landing spot. While DJ Chark looks like an emerging star, the Jaguars were otherwise thin at receiver, with only the disappointing Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley around to compete for targets, and no heavily targeted tight ends of which to speak. At 6-1, 227, Shenault is densely built like A.J. Brown, but probably not as fast (though his subpar 4.58 at the combine was marred by a core muscle injury that required surgery shortly thereafter). Still, Shenault is a load to bring down after the catch, and he accelerates quickly for a player his size. He'll have to beat out Conley and Westbrook for targets opposite Chark, but the Jaguars are betting he can, given where they took him.