There has been a lot of debate as to whether or not JuJu Smith-Schuster is a number one receiver. Here’s why the Steelers may be a team full of number twos.
With Antonio Brown getting shipped to the Raiders this past offseason, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster became the center of attention in Pittsburgh. Fans were interested to see what the third-year receiver could do without Brown on the opposite side of him in 2019.
Unfortunately, things haven’t shaped out quite like we had hoped for the young receiver.
Though he is playing without future Hall of Fame quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu has been a bit of a letdown this year. Over the past four games, Smith-Schuster has caught just 12 of 24 targets. He also has had several big drops this season and a fumble against the Ravens that ultimately cost Pittsburgh the game.
While this isn’t to say that JuJu can’t develop into a legitimate number one wideout in the NFL, it is extremely hard to make the case for him as that right now.
Not all is bad, however. James Washington was a former 2018 second-round draft choice who had a very disappointing rookie campaign last year. Washington pitching in just 16 catches on 38 targets in 2018 (42 percent catch rate), and earned a Pro Football Focus grade of just 49.2 on the season – tied for the lowest among all qualifying players.
However, Washington has taken a massive leap forward in recent weeks for the Steelers. Though he started the season off slow, the Oklahoma State product is starting to kick things into gear – catching 10 of 11 targets for 159 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks.
The second-year wideout is putting his incredibly strong hands and on display as he has been the most consistent Steelers receiver as of late.
Likewise, third-round draft choice Diontae Johnson has been impressive this season. Though he wasn’t expected to compete much as a rookie, the failed signing of Donte Moncrief forced Johnson into action sooner than most anticipated – and it’s a good thing.
Johnson is the quickest of Pittsburgh’s receivers and has a unique ability to create separation at the top of his routes. He currently has the best catch rate of the Steelers top three receivers (65.2 percent) and he offers shiftiness after the catch that the other receivers don’t.
While the Steelers may not possess a legitimate number one receiver at the moment, they may have the next best thing going for them. JuJu, Washington, and Johnson were all high draft choices with big expectations. Even if JuJu doesn’t reach the status many expected him to, it’s quite possible that Washington and Johnson could develop into serviceable number two receivers in Pittsburgh.
Obviously, there is still a lot of growth needed – both on their own end and in quarterback, Mason Rudolph. However, things are certainly trending in the right direction at the moment.
Jalen Ramsey was able to take JuJu out of the game, for the most part, this past Sunday, but Washington and Johnson helped step up in his place. If this group of guys ends up being a trio of solid number two receivers, perhaps that can be better than just having the number one receiver people were hoping for in Smith-Schuster.