The Steelers will soon be looking to replace JuJu Smith-Schuster. Here are four NFL Draft prospects who could do the trick.
At this point, it’s no secret that JuJu Smith-Schuster will be on his way. Though the former USC wider receiver turned out to be an excellent pick by the Steelers, Pittsburgh won’t be able to offer him as much money as he will undoubtedly earn on the open market.
Fortunately, the Steelers are arguably the best team in the league at drafting and developing talent at the wide receiver position. Over the past four years alone, they have managed to land players like JuJu, James Washington, Diontae Johnson, and Chase Claypool on day two of the NFL Draft.
With Smith-Schuster preparing to leave in free agency, wide receiver could once again become an early need for Pittsburgh. Here are four NFL Draft prospects who could be ‘the next JuJu’ for the Steelers:
Amari Rodgers, Clemson
Here’s a player who is gradually starting to draw more buzz – especially after a solid performance at the Senior Bowl. Amari Rodgers is a 21-year-old receiver who is as tough as nails across the middle of the football field. This past year for the Clemson Tigers, Rodgers had a breakout campaign which included 77 catches for 1,020 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Rodgers was Trevor Lawrence’s go-to target for a reason, as he is a reliable option who can hang onto a pass over the middle and absorb the big hit. At just 5’9 1/2”, Rodgers is shorter than ideal, but he makes up for it with a muscular 211-pound frame and sheer toughness. As a slot replacement for JuJu, the Steelers don’t necessarily need a tall receiver, and so much of Rodgers’ game reminds me of Smith-Schuster. He would be a quality late day-two option.
Shi Smith, South Carolina
Here’s a player who could fill JuJu Smith-Schuster’s role, but do so in a way that is slightly different. At 5’10” and 186 pounds, Shi Smith has a very different body type than JuJu, but he could be a dominant slot option nonetheless (think a discounted version of Sterling Shepard).
Smith never really had an amazing stat line at South Carolina, but that’s mainly because the team hardly ever threw the ball. Despite never earning more than 673 yards in a single season in college, Smith accounted for 46.6 percent of the Gamecocks’ passing offense (92nd percentile), and his 28.8 percent target share was one of the best in the nation.
Shi Smith doesn’t have the same level of physicality that JuJu possesses, but he might already be a better route runner and he’s a very smooth mover after the catch. He could quickly become a go-to safety blanket for Ben Roethlisberger (or whoever the next quarterback will be). The best thing about Smith is that the Steelers could potentially get him at a bargain, as he could possibly make it to the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
Here is one of my biggest draft crushes in 2021. Though Elijah Moore measures in just under 5’10” there is so much to love about this kid. For starters, Moore was an utterly dominant player this past year at Ole Miss – a school that has a brilliant track record for producing wide receivers as of late. Moore is incredibly savvy for a 20-year-old player and has the natural ability to pluck the ball out of the air without losing speed at the catch point.
After the catch, Moore is a nightmare to track down. His terrific suddenness and ability to move with the ball in his hands reflects shades of a young Antonio Brown (though this is too high of an expectation for who he will be in the NFL). Still, Moore has the makings to be one of the best slot receivers in the league with his combination of impressive traits that are beyond his years.
While smaller than JuJu, Moore has a chance to be an even better player in this role for the Steelers. He can stretch the field and win at every level. Though he probably won’t test as a great athlete, he creates a lot more separation than Smith-Schuster and he has the makings to be a quarterback’s best friend.
Terrace Marshall Jr.
Terrace Marshall isn’t necessarily a JuJu clone. He’s long and lean with the ability to stretch the field. However, he did much of his damage from the slot at LSU and he could be a solid option here in the NFL. Marshall isn’t a sudden athlete in terms of his ability to make defenders miss in space, but he’s got build-up speed and possesses the ability to win at the top of his routes.
Like Smith-Schuster, Marshall probably isn’t going to get a ton of separation in the NFL. Thankfully, he’s brilliant at the catch point and like Justin Jefferson who was drafted from LSU a year before him, he has one of the best contested-catch rates in all of college football.
For the Steelers, Marshall could man JuJu’s old role for the Steelers as early as his rookie season. Still just 20 years old with a ton of room to grow, he could be an impact player for Pittsburgh down the line. Unfortunately, he may be off the board before Pittsburgh’s second-round pick.
The Steelers will have plenty of options when replacing JuJu Smith-Schuster, but these four slot options were some of the best in college football last year. If Pittsburgh is willing to once again spend a pick on a receiver in rounds 2-4 of the draft, these are all very capable options with solid upside.