TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama’s three starting receivers from its 2017 campaign are no longer part of the program and will look to land on an NFL roster as draft hopefuls later this month.

A returning wideout expected to fill one of those first-team vacancies spent some of the Crimson Tide’s first six spring practices with the defensive backs, helping provide depth for a thin position group, while another suffered a knee injury that will sideline for some time.

But all the goings-on in the wide receiver room has allowed one redshirt freshman to take advantage of the opportunity awarded to him this spring. And that is Tyrell Shavers.

“He’s a talented guy,” head coach Nick Saban said of Shavers on Tuesday.

“He’s getting a lot of reps, now especially, and I think it’s a work in progress for him to learn the position because he hadn’t played it before. But he’s got some talent. He’s one of those guys that we need to develop and create a role for him because he certainly has the ability to contribute, and we certainly are going to work really hard to try and help him do to that.”

The No. 12 wide receiver and 88th overall prospect in the 2017 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, Shavers stands at 6-foot-6, 213 pounds on Alabama’s online roster.

He did not participate in the Tide’s 2017 national title run that featured a 6-man rotation at wide receiver, but he was a standout on the practice field, earning Scout Team Player of the Week honors from the UA coaching staff seven times as a freshman last year.

Although he hasn’t yet displayed it to the public, what Shavers has shown behind the scenes, not only this spring but in the 14-game season, impressed those inside the Alabama program.

“He’s a very big, fast, physical wide receiver,” rising senior tight end Hale Hentges said of his teammate. “It seems like every day when you turn on the tape he’s making some sort of play where you kind of turn your head and you’re like, ‘Wow, that was really impressive.’

“So, he’s a big-bodied receiver who gives our DBs and linebackers a lot of trouble. Hopefully, we can see that kind of same energy and mindset in the fall.”

His last actual game action occurred at Lewisville (Texas) High School where he was a Texas all-district selection in both 2015 and 2016. Shavers caught a combined 64 passes for 1,200 yards and 20 touchdowns during his junior and senior prep campaigns.

But why wasn’t Shavers able to get on the field a season ago like the other freshman receivers? BamaOnLine senior analyst Travis Reier provided insight as to why that ultimately happened.

“Watching Shavers work next to classmates Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III last season, it was clear that he was in need of polish,” Reier said. “While some of that had to do with his size -- getting in and out of breaks isn’t quite as easy for a 6-foot-6 receiver as it is for a 6-footer -- he was also in need of continued exposure to the nuances that come with playing the position at the SEC level.

“Being a ‘big target’ with ‘some talent’ at this level isn’t enough. Becoming more efficient in every aspect of his route running and all-around play will be the determining factors in how much of an impact Shavers makes in 2018 and beyond. When that happens, Shavers’ size will create a niche for him in a rotation that doesn’t lack playmakers.”

Shavers and Alabama will return to the practice field Thursday, April 5, for the Crimson Tide’s seventh session of the spring -- its final tune-up before Saturday’s first spring scrimmage.

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).