RADIO
Juju Smith-Schuster 2020 Outlook: Back to WR1 Form
5 years agoAfter losing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the first game of the 2019 season, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered statistically. His stat-lines made him look like a shell of himself out there when in fact he was just doubled so often with Antonio Brown out of town and a mixture of Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph unable to fit the ball into any windows. The return of Roethlisberger at even 75 percent of himself would be such a boost for the entire offense. Smith-Schuster's 552 yards and three TDs on 42 receptions are egregious for a late-first round draft pick and now, thanks to recency bias, his draft range is back to the late-third/early-fourth level it was after his stellar rookie season. Skepticism is warranted in Smith-Schuster's ability to operate as an alpha WR without AB next to him for a full season, however, in games without him leading up to 2019, he accrued 26 receptions (on 35 targets), 333 yards, and 3 TD in four games. Take the discount and draft Smith-Schuster everywhere.
