IDL, LSU
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 362 lbs
Class: rs-Junior
Shelvin was listed as a four-star recruit back in 2017, committing to LSU over the likes of Alabama and Texas A&M. His collegiate career has certainly had its fair share of problems. Academic eligibility issues forced Shelvin to redshirt his freshman season. He then missed time in 2018 after a suspension over weight and health concerns. He finally made it as a starter in 2019, before opting out this past season.
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Strengths
The first thing you notice about Shelvin is his size. At 6’3″ and 362 lbs he is one of the biggest players you will see on a football field. As a recruit coming out of high school he was even bigger, weighing in at 376 lbs. Shelvin combines this size with incredible strength. He possesses a really stout anchor and won’t be moved off the line of scrimmage. This showed up most notably against the run. Whilst we didn’t see Shelvin play in 2020, he was elite against the run in his one season as a starter. His 88.3 PFF run defense grade ranked seventh amongst Power Five interior linemen in 2019.
One of Shelvin’s biggest strengths is his ability to play with leverage. He does an excellent job of staying low and under the center’s pads and he showcases real power at the point of attack. Shelvin doesn’t offer much when it comes to his hand counters, but his pure strength is often enough to defeat his man and make the play on the ball carrier. Teams are often forced to account for him with double teams and even then he is still more than capable of holding his own.
Despite being one of the biggest nose tackles you’ll see, Shelvin offers surprising burst. His lateral agility leaves a lot to be desired, but he has the quick first step to challenge opposing linemen off the snap. He is often able to get them off their base and move them into the backfield. Shelvin’s game is rather one dimensional at this point, but you won’t find many better run stuffers in this year’s draft class.
Weaknesses
Whilst Shelvin is excellent against the run, he offers nothing against the pass. In his 393 career pass rushing snaps, Shelvin has managed just nine pressures. He has no real pass rushing moves to speak of and lacks the lateral agility to cause any sorts of problems for opposing linemen. This is a massive limitation on his value. There are plenty of teams who don’t see the need for a pure run-stuffing nose tackle these days. Even those that do will likely see Shelvin as a two-down player at best.
The other big concern with Shelvin is his lack of athleticism and problems with weight management. This has been a consistent problem throughout his time at LSU. At the time of his suspension in 2018 he had reached 390 lbs and his inability to control his weight will be a major concern.
Bottom Line
Shelvin is going to be one of the draft’s most divisive prospects. If you are in need of a run-stuffing interior lineman, look no further than Shelvin. His ability to take on double teams and eat up blocks is impressive and he’ll be dependable in this aspect of the game. If you need anything else, he will leave you wanting. Shelvin’s lack of pass rushing ability and issues with athleticism and weight control make him a difficult prospect to project to the NFL.
Big Board Rank: #102
Positional Rank: #9
