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The three most valuable Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019

By Chris Halicke

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 16: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers drops back to pass in the third quarter during the game against the New England Patriots at Heinz Field on December 16, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 16: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers drops back to pass in the third quarter during the game against the New England Patriots at Heinz Field on December 16, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 09: Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers catches a pass in front of cornerback Rashaan Melvin #22 of the Oakland Raiders during the second quarter at O.co Coliseum on December 9, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 09: Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers catches a pass in front of cornerback Rashaan Melvin #22 of the Oakland Raiders during the second quarter at O.co Coliseum on December 9, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster

I’m usually not a big believer that receivers are MVP’s, especially when the team has a legitimate franchise quarterback. In this case, JuJu Smith-Schuster is a very valuable piece to the Steelers in 2019.

In his first two seasons, JuJu has done extraordinarily well. A really solid rookie year, followed by a break-out sophomore season has many believing, including myself, that JuJu is a legitimate number one receiver in the NFL.

But before we can crown JuJu, we’ve got to see how this plays out on the field. Love him or hate him, we have to believe Antonio Brown was a big reason JuJu was able to produce the numbers he did. A receiver like Brown requires a lot of attention by the opposing defense, where all eyes went to him instead of JuJu.

Things will be different this year. JuJu will get that attention, especially following a season where he caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards. Those are monster numbers for a second year receiver. And now without an All-Pro receiver on the other side, JuJu will get that attention.

Let’s not take anything away from JuJu though. He still faced double coverage. He still made huge catches, in the clutch, against premier defensive backs (i.e. the Jacksonville game). JuJu has all the skills and physical gifts to be an unquestioned number one receiver. He also has two years worth of playing with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

JuJu’s presence will also affect the effectiveness of the other receivers on the roster. James Washington is likely to play a bigger role, and free agent addition Donte Moncrief will get plenty of looks as well. JuJu can be the “new AB,” where just his presence on the field makes his other receivers more valuable.

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