Darrell Bevell: Laviska Shenault really needs the ball in his hands

[Jaxson De Ville]

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The Jaguars gave first-round pick Travis Etienne snaps at wide receiver during their offseason program because they want the running back to be able to play a versatile role in their offense this season.

Etienne is not the only player that the Jags would like to see make an impact in multiple areas on the field. Wide receiver Laviska Shenault is also in that group.

Shenault caught 58 passes for 600 yards and five touchdowns while also running the ball 18 times as a rookie. None of those carries went for scores, but he ran for seven touchdowns while at the University of Colorado and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said the team wants to get the ball into Shenault’s hands any way they can.

“I really like what I see from Laviska,” Bevell said, via the team’s website. “He’s a big, strong, physical player and the guy that really needs the ball in his hands. So, that’s the first thing that you’ve got to figure out, ‘How do we give it to him? And what does it look like?’ There [are] easy, simple ways that you can kind of hand it to him and get it to him, but there’s also routes and things. So, that’s where I wanted to progress, too, and see what he was able to do as a wide receiver and I really like what I see.”

Plenty of people will be curious to see how well Trevor Lawrence does in his rookie season and the chances of success will be improved by finding the right spots for Shenault, Etienne and others to make plays.