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February 12, 2021

JuJu Smith-Schuster

Productive wideout should have strong market

JuJu Smith-Schuster is headed for free agency, and the way the Steelers have tended to handle the position -- drafting and developing youngsters -- he'll probably end up moving on. John Clayton reports that the Raiders are interested, and they won't be alone.

Smith-Schuster won't even turn 25 until November, but his first four years in the league have been pretty impressive. Not so much 2019, when Ben Roethlisberger was hurt all year, but in his other three seasons. He's been a top-20 PPR wideout in each of them, posting three of the top-100 fantasy seasons by wide receivers since 2017, and 2 of the top 51.

TOP PPR WIDEOUTS, 2017-2020
Year	Player	G	Run	Rec	Yds	TD	PPR	Rk
2019	Michael Thomas, N.O.	16	-9	149	1725	9	374.6	1
2020	Davante Adams, G.B.	14	0	115	1374	18	360.4	1
2018	DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.	16	-7	115	1572	11	337.5	1
2018	Tyreek Hill, K.C.	16	151	87	1479	14	334.0	2
2018	Julio Jones, Atl.	16	12	113	1677	8	329.9	3
2018	Davante Adams, G.B.	15	0	111	1386	13	329.6	4
2020	Tyreek Hill, K.C.	15	123	87	1276	17	328.9	2
2020	Stefon Diggs, Buff.	16	1	127	1535	8	328.6	3
2018	Antonio Brown, Pitt.	15	0	104	1297	15	323.7	5
2018	Michael Thomas, N.O.	16	0	125	1405	9	319.5	6
2017	DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.	15	0	96	1378	13	311.8	1
2017	Antonio Brown, Pitt.	14	0	101	1533	9	310.3	2
2018	Adam Thielen, Min.	16	30	113	1373	9	309.3	7
2018	JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt.	16	13	111	1426	7	298.9	8
2018	Mike Evans, T.B.	16	0	86	1524	9	292.4	9
2020	DeAndre Hopkins, Ariz.	16	1	115	1407	6	291.8	4
2017	Keenan Allen, LAC	16	9	102	1393	7	284.2	3
2020	Calvin Ridley, Atl.	15	1	90	1374	9	283.5	5
2019	Chris Godwin, T.B.	14	8	86	1333	9	276.1	2
2020	Justin Jefferson, Min.	16	2	88	1400	7	274.2	6
2019	Julio Jones, Atl.	15	-3	99	1394	6	274.1	3
2020	DK Metcalf, Sea.	16	0	83	1303	10	273.3	7
2019	DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.	15	18	104	1165	7	270.6	4
2019	Cooper Kupp, LAR	16	4	94	1161	10	270.5	5
2018	Stefon Diggs, Min.	15	62	102	1021	9	266.3	10
2018	Robert Woods, LAR	16	157	86	1219	7	265.6	11
2020	Tyler Lockett, Sea.	16	0	100	1054	10	265.4	8
2017	Jarvis Landry, Mia.	16	-7	112	987	9	264.0	4
2017	Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz.	16	0	109	1156	6	263.7	5
2020	Allen Robinson, Chi.	16	-1	102	1250	6	262.9	9
2018	Keenan Allen, LAC	16	75	97	1196	6	262.1	12
2019	Keenan Allen, LAC	16	16	104	1199	6	261.5	6
2019	Julian Edelman, N.E.	16	27	100	1117	6	258.8	7
2017	Michael Thomas, N.O.	16	0	104	1245	5	258.5	6
2019	Allen Robinson, Chi.	16	2	98	1147	7	254.9	8
2020	Adam Thielen, Min.	15	15	74	925	14	254	10
2017	Julio Jones, Atl.	16	15	88	1444	3	251.9	7
2019	Kenny Golladay, Det.	16	0	65	1190	11	250.0	9
2020	A.J. Brown, Ten.	14	0	70	1075	12	249.5	11
2020	Keenan Allen, LAC	14	-1	100	992	8	249.1	12
2020	Mike Evans, T.B.	16	0	70	1006	13	248.6	13
2017	Tyreek Hill, K.C.	15	59	75	1183	8	247.2	8
2020	Robert Woods, LAR	16	155	90	936	8	247.1	14
2019	Amari Cooper, Dall.	16	6	79	1189	8	246.5	10
2019	DeVante Parker, Mia.	16	0	72	1202	9	246.2	11
2017	Adam Thielen, Min.	16	11	91	1276	4	243.7	9
2018	Brandin Cooks, LAR	16	68	80	1204	6	243.2	13
2018	T.Y. Hilton, Ind.	14	0	76	1270	6	239.0	14
2019	Jarvis Landry, Cle.	16	10	83	1174	6	237.4	12
2020	Amari Cooper, Dall.	16	14	92	1114	5	236.8	15
2020	JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt.	16	0	97	831	9	236.1	16
2019	Tyler Lockett, Sea.	16	-5	82	1057	8	235.2	13
2018	Odell Beckham, NYG	12	19	77	1052	6	233.4	15
2019	Robert Woods, LAR	15	115	90	1134	3	232.9	14
2019	Mike Evans, T.B.	13	0	67	1157	8	232.7	15
2019	DJ Moore, Car.	15	40	87	1175	4	232.5	16
2020	Brandin Cooks, Hou.	15	0	81	1150	6	232	17
2017	A.J. Green, Cin.	16	0	75	1078	8	230.8	10
2020	Marvin Jones, Det.	16	0	76	978	9	227.8	18
2019	Tyler Boyd, Cin.	16	23	90	1046	5	226.9	17
2017	Golden Tate, Det.	16	22	92	1003	5	226.5	11
2020	Robby Anderson, Car.	16	15	95	1096	3	226.1	19
2020	Terry McLaurin, Was.	15	30	87	1118	4	225.8	20
2019	DJ Chark, Jac.	15	20	73	1008	8	225.8	18
2017	Marvin Jones, Det.	16	0	61	1101	9	225.1	12
2020	Diontae Johnson, Pitt.	15	15	88	923	7	223.8	21
2017	Doug Baldwin, Sea.	16	-8	75	991	8	223.3	13
2019	Courtland Sutton, Den.	16	17	72	1112	6	222.8	19
2017	Davante Adams, G.B.	14	0	74	885	10	222.5	14
2018	Tyler Lockett, Sea.	16	69	57	965	10	222.4	16
2017	Brandin Cooks, N.E.	16	40	65	1082	7	221.2	15
2018	Tyler Boyd, Cin.	14	3	76	1028	7	221.1	17
2019	John Brown, Buff.	15	7	72	1060	6	220.1	20
2018	Jarvis Landry, Cle.	16	60	81	976	5	219.8	18
2020	CeeDee Lamb, Dall.	16	82	74	935	7	219.7	22
2018	Amari Cooper, 2TM	15	20	75	1005	7	219.5	19
2019	Stefon Diggs, Min.	15	61	63	1130	6	218.1	21
2019	A.J. Brown, Ten.	16	60	52	1051	9	217.1	22
2020	Chase Claypool, Pitt.	16	16	62	873	11	216.9	23
2019	Davante Adams, G.B.	12	0	83	997	5	214.7	23
2019	Michael Gallup, Dall.	14	0	66	1107	6	212.7	24
2020	Curtis Samuel, Car.	15	200	77	851	5	212.1	24
2020	DJ Moore, Car.	15	22	66	1193	4	211.5	25
2020	Cooper Kupp, LAR	15	33	92	974	3	210.7	26
2018	Calvin Ridley, Atl.	16	27	64	821	10	208.8	20
2017	Demaryius Thomas, Den.	16	0	83	949	5	207.9	16
2018	Julian Edelman, N.E.	12	107	74	850	6	207.9	21
2020	Cole Beasley, Buff.	15	0	82	967	4	207.7	27
2018	Kenny Golladay, Det.	15	8	70	1063	5	207.1	22
2019	Odell Beckham, Cle.	16	10	74	1035	4	203.5	25
2017	Mike Evans, T.B.	15	0	71	1001	5	203.1	17
2017	Robby Anderson, NYJ	16	9	63	941	7	200.0	18
2018	Emmanuel Sanders, Den.	12	53	71	868	5	198.5	23
2017	Stefon Diggs, Min.	14	13	64	849	8	198.2	19
2019	Jamison Crowder, NYJ	16	4	78	833	6	197.7	26
2017	JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt.	14	0	58	917	8	197.7	20
2019	Calvin Ridley, Atl.	13	34	63	866	7	197.0	27
2020	Tee Higgins, Cin.	16	28	67	908	6	196.6	28
2017	Alshon Jeffery, Phil.	16	0	57	789	9	195.9	21
2017	Devin Funchess, Car.	16	0	63	840	8	195.0	22

The Raiders have Nelson Agholor headed for free agency. Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards are entering their second seasons and Hunter Renfrow is coming back, but Smith-Schuster would look like a No. 1 on this roster (and a lot of rosters). Will be interesting to see who pays up for him; it probably won't be the Steelers.

If he goes, it will make the remaining wideouts look a lot more compelling: Diontae Johnson, impressive rookie Chase Claypool, James Washington. That's assuming Ben Roethlisberger returns, which the early guess is he will. In any case, should be an exciting free agency period coming up.

--Andy Richardson

JuJu Smith-Schuster

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