Doug Pederson Breaks Down Laviska Shenault's Audition at Returner

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Laviska Shenault has played a lot of roles since the Jaguars selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Wide receiver? Check.

Running back? Check.

Wildcat quarterback? Check.

But returner isn't an area we have seen Shenault's versatility show up. He only has 11 special teams snaps in two seasons, including just one last year. But it appears there is a chance that could change in 2022 in the first year of Doug Pederson's regime as the Jaguars look for more depth at returner following Jamal Agnew's season-ending hip injury in November.

"He came to us. This was a couple of weeks ago," Pederson said before the Jaguars' fourth OTA practice on Tuesday.

"I just walked up to him on the field and just asked him if he’s ever done it and he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve done it before’ and this and that and I said, ‘Why don’t you just get back there?’ So, we had a little conversation on the field, and he’s been good. He’s embraced it. He’s such a big, powerful guy, that’d be an ideal spot for him obviously to help this football team as well.”

Shenault went on to practice alongside the returners when it came to special team drills, fielding a number of punts. It was the first time we have seen Shenault do so in our time covering him, but it is clear that 2022 is a time of change in Jacksonville and a time where players will do whatever they can to ensure they can make an impact and get on the field.

Laviska Shenault working at punt returner for #Jaguars pic.twitter.com/s0gnIqUk9v
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) May 31, 2022

The Jaguars are still unsure of Agnew's return to the field, so accounting for any insurance options in the event he isn't ready for Week 1 makes sense. Shenault isn't the only player getting reps at the spot either, with the Jaguars casting a wide net to ensure they have all of their bases covered.

“We’re working a lot of guys back there right now," Pederson said. "Laviska's been back there fielding some punts and some of the younger guys in some of the kickoff stuff and some of running backs now with Snoop [Conner] in here, getting him some time. But it’s a little early, obviously. We’re working about eight to ten guys back there between punts and kickoff returns.

"That’s an area that we have to improve obviously. We know Jamal [Agnew] can handle it, but at the same time, we have to come away [with other options]. Christian [Kirk]’s been back there a little bit too. I’m just thinking of some of the guys that are there. But it’s a position that we have to make sure that we have, if Jamal can’t go to start the year, that we have confidence in the next person.”

Shenault has been an offensive-only player since the Jaguars made him the No. 42 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Shenault's career started off strong with the Jaguars getting him reps in the slot and at running back, catching 58 passes for 600 yards and five touchdowns with 18 carries for 91 yards on the NFL's worst team.

Shenault took a step back along with the entire Jaguars' offense in 2021, which has led to his place on the depth chart now. In 16 games, Shenault caught 63 passes for 619 yards and zero touchdowns, bringing his yards per catch mark down from 10.3 to 9.8 and his yards per target figure down from 7.6 to 6.2. Shenault's catch percentage also took a big hit; after catching 73.4% of his targets in 2020, he caught just 63% in 2021 as Pro Football Reference credited him with eight drops.

The Jaguars added wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in free agency and each predictably ran completely with the first-team offense during Tuesday's practice. Add in veteran receiver Marvin Jones, and Shenault looks to be Jacksonville's No. 4 receiver in the offseason.

That isn't the worst-case scenario for Shenault considering reports in the offseason the Jaguars were receiving interest in the former Colorado star. He still has a chance to make an impact on the Jaguars' offense and is just one injury away from becoming a starter. He has also had a strong offseason to this point, making the best catch of the day in Tuesday's practice.

But any receiver, running back or anyone else who isn't a starter needs to provide value elsewhere on the roster. And with Shenault's audition at returner this offseason, it is clear the Jaguars see this as his path to staying on the field and proving he is the playmaker he was in college and in 2020.

Laviska Shenault's first career touchdown | #Pac12FB | WATCH on Pac-12 Network #TXSTvsCU pic.twitter.com/pJ63Br96IU
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 9, 2017

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