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JuJu Smith-Schuster is heading into the 2019 NFL season as the lead wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Following a season and offseason full of drama, the Steelers look completely different. Both Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell are gone, leaving Smith-Schuster as Ben Roethlisberger's top target.
Last season, Smith-Schuster put together a huge year. He caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers were impressive, but many think they were somewhat of a product of playing alongside of Brown.
Now, things have changed. Smith-Schuster is the man for the Steelers' offense. Brown will no longer be overshadowing him.
James Conner will be picking up the slack for Bell, while the Steelers also have James Washington and Donte Moncrief. While those are all quality players, they do not have the big-play ability that Smith-Schuster possesses.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at three way-too-early bold predictions for Smith-Schuster.
3. He Catches 110 Passes and 12 Touchdowns
Smith-Schuster is going to be asked a lot of this season and he will not disappoint. Even as the go-to wide receiver, he will not allow his performance to slip. He will even take a step further with his numbers.
When everything is said and done this season, he will catch at least 110 passes and 12 touchdowns. Big Ben will be looking his way often this season and the young wide receiver is going to make the most of the opportunity. Pittsburgh is hoping to see him rise to superstar status, which is exactly what he will do.
These numbers will vault Smith-Schuster to the “elite” level of stars in the NFL. He has shown time and time again that there is no ceiling on his potential and this will be the year that he finally breaks out and proves that fact.
2. 1,500 Receiving Yards at the Least
In addition to the above statistics, Smith-Schuster will rack up 1,500 receiving yards. Pittsburgh will not shy away from putting the football in the air, even without Brown on the roster. That means that yardage will be spread around to the other receivers.
Smith-Schuster put up nearly 1,500 receiving yards last season and will top that mark this year. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising to see him top 1,750 if he takes the leap that many are expecting.
Assuming he is able to put up these numbers, the Steelers are not going to be missing Brown very much.
1. Smith-Schuster Outperforms Antonio Brown in Every Way
Finally, the Steelers are going to see their new No. 1 wide receiver outperform Antonio Brown in every way possible. He has the talent and now he will have the opportunity to do so.
Pittsburgh fans have seen the drama between Smith-Schuster and Brown this offseason. The two stars have gone at each other on social media and are clearly no longer fans of each other, although JuJu has since put the drama behind him. Smith-Schuster will use that as motivation throughout the year to prove that he is just as good as his former mentor.
It will be entertaining to see him play with a chip on his shoulder. The fans are going to love the improvement that they see from him and he will make Pittsburgh rest easy with the production that he gives.
