Pittsburgh Steelers offensive player stat predictions for 2019
By Tommy Jaggi
JuJu Smith-Schuster:
2018 season stats: 111 rec, 166 targets, 1,426 yards, 12.8 ypr, 7 rec TD
2019 stat prediction: 115 rec, 172 targets, 1,398 yards, 12.1 ypr, 10 rec TD
JuJu is going to have his hands full this year. He no longer has Antonio Brown to help draw coverage away, and he will be the receiver who sees all of the double teams in 2019.
Still, the 22-year old has stepped up to the plate when called upon so far. He stands to be a significant part of the offense moving forward and could put up fantastic numbers again this season as the number one option for Ben Roethlisberger.
Donte Moncrief:
2018 season stats: 48 rec, 89 targets, 668 yards, 13.9 ypr, 3 rec TD
2019 stat prediction: 41 rec, 78 targets, 492 yards, 12.0 ypr, 3 rec TD
Even though he is going from Blake Bortles to Ben Roethlisberger, I don’t believe Moncrief will see an increase in production. Part of the reason for that is the two young receivers behind him who will be shuffled into the mix.
Moncrief isn’t likely to be a clear-cut number two receiver this year and will have to share time by committee. It could look much like the 2015 season where Martavis Bryant and Marcus Wheaton both ended up serving sizable, but not full-time roles.