Liberty wide receiver Kevin Shaa spent his first two seasons at City College of San Francisco. Shaa is known as the deep threat and big-play receiver, averaging 18 YPC in back-to-back seasons. His game is predicated on speed and attacking defenses vertically. He tracks the football well while in flight. For his size, he is not a natural or sharp route-runner. His routes are rounded, decreasing his chances to create optimal separation. His inability to block in the run game will limit his snaps in the slot besides obvious passing plays. While he was a vertical threat for Malik Willis, Shaa does not possess elite speed. Creating free releases will help him reach top speed quicker.

Ideal Role: Backup perimeter receiver

Scheme Fit: Spread offense, RPO-centric, Vertical/horizontal shot plays off play-action.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Damian Parson

Games watched: UL Monroe (2021), Louisiana (2021), Old Dominion (2021), North Texas (2021)

Best Game Studied: Old Dominion (2021)

Worst Game Studied: UL Monroe (2021)

Route Running: Shaa is an average route-runner. His route pacing could improve to throw defensive backs off balance. He sells vertical routes to open routes coming back to the quarterback. He rounds his routes at the top of his stem instead of cutting sharply.

Hands: He has the occasional concentration drop. That being said, he has some difficult catches on the move along the sideline on scramble drills. He transitions between body and hand-catching depending on the situation. Improving his pluck ability with full extension will improve his efficiency overall.

Separation: His ability to separate from opposing defenders has a mixed bag of results. Shaa’s functional play speed allows him to separate vertically. Not cutting with sharpness on quicker and shorter routes limits the separation he creates. Improving his ability to fight through contact during his routes can improve his separation.

Release Package: Shaa faces his share of free releases. When tasked to defeat press coverage, he uses a combination of speed and one-step jab releases. A limited release package limits his ability to enter his route stem quickly. Cornerbacks are not fooled by his repetitive releases at the LOS.

Run after Catch: He is not the most elusive receiver in space. He has a slippery element after the catch to evade defenders. His burst and speed generate most of his YAC opportunities. He lacks functional play strength to fight through arm tackles.

Ball Skills: Shaa is not known as a jump ball or 50/50 specialist. He has good body control and awareness on deep shots. He tracks the ball well while in flight. After locating the ball, he can adjust to its path before making an attempt on the ball.

Football IQ: His intelligence shows against zone coverages. He locates and sits in the soft spots of the coverage. When his quarterback begins a scramble drill from being pressured, Shaa detaches from coverage and makes himself available. It will be beneficial to better attack defensive backs’ leverage in coverage to create advantageous throwing windows.

Versatility: Shaa has experience as the slot and boundary receiver. He projects more as a slot in the NFL. While he has the build and traits to be a returner, he offers no special teams value.

Competitive Toughness: He is small in stature but not in heart. He gives high effort and energy on the field. He battles as a blocker in the running and screen game.

Big Play Ability: This season, Shaa averaged 18.4 YPC. His role consists of stretching the defense vertically on posts, fades, and go routes. He is a reliable and trusted deep threat for Malik Willis on designed shot plays.

SCOUT GRADES

Parson Grade: 68.50/100 (Sixth Round Value)