KC Chiefs: Laviska Shenault could be special offensive weapon

The dust of NFL free agency has settled and all eyes turn to the draft. Later this month, the lives of many college prospects will change. Will the KC Chiefs look to add a versatile playmaker on offense?

The excitement of the upcoming NFL draft is building and teams will look to fill holes in their rosters while also building for the future. For the Kansas City Chiefs, they will return a Super Bowl-winning roster with most of the chess pieces still in place.

Currently, ten starters return on offense and nine return on defense. They have some holes to fill in the secondary, but otherwise, they could possibly afford to make a few luxury picks.

One of those luxury picks could be Colorado wide receiver, Laviska Shenault Jr. who has earned both first and second-team All-Pac 12 awards and is an explosive offensive player. The 6’1″, 227-pound Shenault plays wide receiver, but is built like and has the ability to play like a big running back. This could bode very well for a team with an offensive genius like Andy Reid at the helm.

The Chiefs are fortunate to be able to bring back Patrick Mahomes‘ wide receiver group for 2020. After re-signing free agent Demarcus Robinson and restructuring the contract of Sammy Watkins, the Chiefs will maintain what is likely the best receiving group in the entire league. For that reason, using an earlier pick on Shenault doesn’t really make much sense this year, but what about beyond this season?

The Robinson and Watkins contracts are set to expire next offseason, so the Chiefs could be in the market for a receiver next year. With receivers needing more time to adjust to the complexities in Reid’s offense, bringing in Shenault for 2020 would be a great advantage for both he and the team. There’s also another interesting scenario that could develop.

Kansas City isn’t currently in dire need of a running back with Damien Williams, Darrel Williams, and Darwin Thompson on the roster, but with the possibility of injuries to any of these, Shenault would be an interesting name to add to that depth chart.

While he’s entering the league as a wide receiver, could he be used in a role similar to that of current Bears’ receiver, Cordarrelle Patterson? Shenault is built similar to Patterson and has some of the same explosive traits as the veteran player.

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In the same fashion that New England used Patterson as a receiver, running back, and return specialist in recent seasons, Kansas City could certainly insert some unique plays highlighting Shenault’s talents. The league seems to be intrigued by players who are like a Swiss Army knife offensively.

Having a multi-talented player like Shenault on the roster could pay big dividends. The Chiefs will always have a variation of roster needs, but continuing to surround Mahomes with great offensive weapons would continue to maximize his potential.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein gives Sammy Watkins as an NFL comparison to Shenault, which would seem to bode well for a potential transition with the likely departure of Watkins next offseason. Zierlein goes on to say, “Shenault shines as a phone-booth bully who’s able to body up and create late windows while securing throws with vice-grip hands.”

That alone should create excitement for any Chiefs fan, considering the future with that type of player with Mahomes. The big question with the talented prospect is where he might land in the draft.

Shenault put in a less-than-stellar performance at the NFL combine and now won’t be able to showcase his abilities at a pro day. While he has the talent of a first-round pick, these reasons will likely place him in the second round or possibly even the third.

The Chiefs’ first pick is at number 32, which would be best spent on a cornerback if the right one is available. The other option would be to trade out of the first round and possibly gain more picks in the process.

Gaining more picks could create the possibility of selecting Shenault, especially if the picks gained were in the second or third rounds. Ultimately, Kansas City has other priorities that would come before selecting a player like this, but it’s certainly fun to imagine the possibilities of what he could do in the KC Chiefs’ offense.

Maybe Brett Veach and Andy Reid are imagining those possibilities as well and will work to make them a reality later this month.

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