Shaun Stephens is listed as 5'9, 180 pounds. At his pro day before the 2011 draft, he ran a 4.56 40 time, with a 1.52 10 yard split, and put in a decent vertical at 32 inches. In his senior season at Prairie View A&M, he hauled in 63 catches for 859 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Here's what I like about him. Stephens is a strong receiver who plays the ball in the air extremely well, even when getting manhandled by DBs. A lot of his highlight reels are spent on catches over, around, or on top of defensive backs, which is a necessary skill in the AFL, where players are required to make catches not only over defensive backs, but on top of and over the boundary wall as well, and Stephens isn't afraid to make that kind of catch. 8 of his senior season games also featured a YPC of over 10 yards, so he's used to spending a lot of time behind defenses. These will all be good skills in the AFL.
On the other hand, Stephens comes in a little on the short side. He's a full 4 inches shorter than Jesse Schmidt, and is the shortest WR on the Barnstormers roster by 2 inches. It's hard to say how much of an effect that will have, but it's definitely a factor. The Barnstormers are carrying quite a few receivers they really like, between Thomas, Taylor, and Bowser, and they have AFL experience with Josue Paul and Darius Reynolds. Overall, I doubt Stephens will see the starting lineup, barring injury, in his first year.
2013 Rookie Class:
Kyle Nunn, OL, South Carolina
Gershom Jordan, OL, Tennessee State
Everett Corley, DL, Midland
Brian Boemer, C, Southern Illinois
Damario Ambrose, MLB, Arkansas
Kai Brown, FB, Brown
COUNTDOWN TO AFL 2013 KICKOFF: 39 DAYS
COUNTDOWN TO AFL 2013 KICKOFF: 39 DAYS
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