20/20: Juju Smith-Schuster
Welcome to the 20/20 series. As part of our continued Dynasty Scouts coverage and in preparation for the NFL Combine, we’ll be profiling 20 of the top incoming rookies of the class of 2017 by giving you 20 facts you must know.
1.) Player Name – John “Juju” Smith-Schuster
2.) College – University of Southern California
3.) Height/Weight – 6’2”, 220 pounds
4.) Birth Date – November 22nd, 1996 (20.3)
5.) Class – Junior
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6.) College stats – At one time the number one devy league pick, Smith-Schuster splashed onto the season as a young freshman in 2014, playing in 13 games for the start of his great three season career at USC. As a true freshman, he recorded 54 receptions for 724 yards and five touchdowns. Smith-Schuster only continued to improve in the following year as a sophomore, hauling in 89 catches for almost 1500 yards. He also doubled up his freshman touchdown totals to ten total scores. While many consider his junior year to be a bit of a down year, he still caught 70 balls for 914 yards and equaled the same number of touchdowns.
7.) NFL Draft round projection – JuJu is a locked in second round pick. I could see him falling into the third with the depth at defense this draft boasts and if teams look too hard at his athleticism.
8.) Current NFL comp – Michael Crabtree
9.) Best possible destination – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa bay is currently struggling to plug someone of actual skill into that second receiver role. Smith-Schuster would be a perfect complement to Mike Evans and he would succeed in a more volume based attack. Tampa was 16th in passing attempts last year and with a running game that’s massively in flux, adding another solid receiving option seems like a perfect fit. Plus, a young developing quarterback, in a friendly system is icing on the cake
10.) Worst possible destination – Miami Dolphins
There seem to be a lot of bad spots for him, but the crowded wide receiver corps in Miami would be the worst. There wouldn’t be a spot for him on the field, especially with the signing of Julius Thomas. Smith-Schuster will likely have a Jarvis Landry type role in an offense and could never really take over as a WR1.
11.) Best current skill – It’s hard to pinpoint one singular thing that JuJu excels at, but there is a multitude of things he does really well. He showcases very capable hands, great body control, decent blocking and an above average ball tracking ability on deeper throws. I also really like what he does to softer coverages. A converted safety, he reads the coverage extremely well and uses it to get open, especially when a play breaks down.
12.) Skill that needs to be improved – The first thing that jumped out to me when watching Smith-Schuster was lack of strength. He looks really easy to jam off the line and struggles in press coverage. Remembering how young he is, this is spot he can still improve. He also has a real lack of acceleration causing his routes to lack separation and causing a lot of contested catches. He could live downfield, but it’s never going to be his bread and butter.
13.) Past/current rookie ADP – In the latest rookie ADP, Smith-Schuster was the third receiver off the board and the fifth overall pick, but in previous months releases he has dropped a few picks. I don’t see an issue taking him as the fifth selection but in a real draft I could see him falling as others take “their guys” early. Seeing as JuJu isn’t an amazing athlete, the combine may lower his stock, but the WR position does thin out quicker than many think, there are a great number of prospects, but few with the pedigree of Smith-Schuster.
14.) Projected dynasty value – This is where things get tough. In our PPR landscape I could see JuJu being a highly valued WR2/3 type of guy, but likely he will never reach that pivotal WR1 level and that’s ok. The combine will not be kind to him, causing a dip in his value before he is even drafted. Landing spot will either hurt or help this, but he could carve out a volume based role almost anywhere he would land. Another point is that he is massively age insulated and only time will tell if this means he could still develop more or be seen as a stash longer causing his value not be inflated.
15.) Honoring the man that raised him
Juju’s unique last name is an homage to the man who raised him. Smith-Schuster added the hyphenated Schuster to honor his step-father, who introduced him to football and made sure he kept his grades up. This seems like a passing matter, but it shows that he respects his roots and almost makes him more conscious of the opportunities he has.
16.) Shaking off the USC pedigree
JuJu will have to shake off the stigma of a receiver from USC, recent NFL players from the college have done nothing but underwhelm. Nelson Agholor, Marqise Lee, and Robert Woods headline the list of receivers that have done little in the NFL. All three were early round selections, giving the primary reason for the stigma as teams have been burned in the past. Smith-Schuster will be the next in line to attempt to break the curse of the Southern California wide receiver.
17.) Experience on both sides of the ball
Juju comes with some unique experience in that he played both sides of the ball in high school. He often played safety and that gives him insight into what defenses are trying to do. This helps fuel his ability to tear up zone and softer coverages.
18.) High school roots
Smith-Schuster comes from a very prodigious high school. He attended Long Beach Poly HS which has produced more NFL players than any school in the United States. But for all of that talent the school has produced, according to the LA Times, former Poly coach Raul Lara described Smith-Schuster as “one of those kids you get once in a blue moon.” Showcasing not only his play during the game, but his work off the field.
19.) Hardworker
Another anecdote that speaks to Smith-Schuster’s high character is his work ethic. The quotes are almost endless praising Juju for how much he loves the game and loves to work. He was suspended for half a game in his senior year of HS because he missed a practice (his flight we delayed after a scouting trip to Alabama), instead of pouting, he spent the week leading up to the game and his time on the bench coaching his replacement. Once he entered the game, he scored a touchdown on the first snap.
20.) Making us all feel old
Of all the 2017 skill players in our Devy Age table, Smith-Schuster checks in as the youngest. He turned 20 at the end of this past season. This is huge for dynasty owners, due to the fact that he could still grow physically and will be age insulated going forward. Comparing him to the 22-year-old Mike Williams and Corey Davis, Juju gives two more years to develop to their level of refinement.
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- 2021 Post-Draft Superflex and Integrated IDP Rookie Mock - May 14, 2021
