5 major storylines to monitor at Jaguars minicamp in 2022

2. Laviska Shenault was a surprise participant at Jaguars minicamp

As noted before, rookies, injuries players, and ‘selected’ veterans were asked to attend minicamp. Third-year wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. was among those that fell into the ‘selected’ veteran category.

A second-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Shenault is coming off a “down” season, one in which he hauled in 63 receptions but averaged less than 10 yards per catch. With Christian Kirk and Zay Jones slated to have big roles on offense in 2022, Viska will have to earn playing time. However, his presence at the minicamp surely raised a few eyebrows. Did he volunteer or did the coaching staff ask him to show up? This will probably be cleared up in the upcoming days but it’s fair to speculate why he was one of the few veterans who were present.

Shenault volunteered for return duties during Organized Team Activities and it wouldn’t be shocking to find out that he asked the staff for permission to attend. After all, he needs to show the Jaguars that last season was an outlier and they can count on him moving forward. Keep in mind that the former Colorado Buff played well at times and was second in the league in missed tackles, only behind Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

The deck might be stacked against Shenault but he still has time to make an impact. Also, he has a supporter on Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, who thinks he can have a breakout year in 2022.