The Pittsburgh Steelers will be going into 2019 without Antonio Brown, as the Steelers traded him to the Oakland Raiders earlier this offseason.
You would think that the absence of Brown would certainly have an adverse effect on Pittsburgh's offense, but NFL analyst and former NFL executive Louis Riddick thinks the Steelers will be just fine due to the presence of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
“They are going to be just as explosive on the offensive side of the ball,” Riddick said on ESPN's Get Up! “JuJu is going to be a bonafide No. 1. James Washington is going to step up; he’s going to be a quality No. 2. Keep an eye on Diontae Johnson, the third round pick out of Toledo. I think he was the best route runner in this draft.”
Smith-Schuster certainly posted No. 1 receiver numbers this past season, hauling in 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. The performance also earned Smith-Schuster team MVP honors, which apparently rubbed Brown the wrong way.
Whether or not Smith-Schuster can maintain his level of production without the benefit of having Brown in tow to attract attention from the defense remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that Smith-Schuster is a very talented wide out.
The 22-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Southern California, was originally selected by the Steelers in the second round (62nd pick overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He went on to catch 58 passes for 917 yards and seven scores during his rookie campaign.
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