New England Patriots: 6 Targets in 2020 NFL Draft to renew dynasty

5. Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado

The most glaring concern for the Patriots was the inability of the wide receivers to get open. Coming into the draft, they should look for a guy who can bring a dynamic element their offense desperately needs. A player with an excellent skill set suited for the Patriots is Colorado’s Laviska Shenault.

Shenault lives on the boundary thanks to his excellent size at 6-2, 220 pounds. He has good quickness and overall strength that allows him to win off the line of scrimmage. He isn’t afraid to work the middle of the field and understands where to sit in zone coverages.

Once he catches the ball, he’s dangerous. He can make guys miss but he’s really reliant on his speed and power. He also wins when battling for contested balls thanks to his strong hands and leaping ability. He’s not polished as a route runner but there’s a high ceiling for him.

This season was a down year for him as Colorado as a whole seemed to struggle quite a bit. Nevertheless, he should hear his name called early on and the Patriots could be one of those teams.

Pairing him with Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry and (if they keep him) Mohamed Sanu, Shenault would enter a great situation where he could be mentored. He could have success as a rookie and help to open the offense.