How JuJu Smith-Schuster will hit pay dirt 10 times for the Steelers in 2019

In case you didn’t know, the Pittsburgh Steelers will return to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA in exactly 14 days of this article being published. With that, I decided to revive an old series we used to do as a lead up to training camp.

30 predictions in 30 days.

Myself and Simon Chester are alternating days giving a prediction for the upcoming season. Some will be team oriented, while others will be specific to individual players. Either way, read on to see the reason why we think today’s prediction will come to fruition, and why it might not come true. Give your thoughts in the comment section below the article.

Training camp is almost here! Here We Go!

Prediction: JuJu Smith-Schuster will score 10 touchdowns in 2019.

Why it will happen: JuJu Smith-Schuster’s career trajectory has been on the steady incline since he was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. His rookie year he made a name for himself as a perfect No. 2 wide receiver opposite Antonio Brown, and in year two he elevated his game to the tune of 1,426 yards and 7 touchdowns.

In fact, Smith-Schuster has totaled 7 touchdowns in his first two seasons, but can he finally reach the double-digit mark for a season? If there is one big difference between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, it would be that Smith-Schuster is now the No. 1 wide receiver for the Steelers. Antonio Brown is gone, and while this will bring more attention to No. 19, it also means Smith-Schuster will get more looks from Ben Roethlisberger when it counts.

Smith-Schuster’s size and hands are a perfect target for any quarterback in the red-zone, and this is where he could dominate opponents next season. Due to the extra attention with Brown gone, Smith-Schuster might not eclipse his yardage numbers from last season, but he very well could score more touchdowns.

With the Steelers’ offense looking to be more spread out in 2019, I could see Smith-Schuster becoming Ben Roethlisberger’s go-to target, and that leading to 10 touchdowns in 2019.

Why it won’t happen: I feel like I could save some time and just type the following...

Antonio Brown is gone and the defense will scheme to stop Smith-Schuster.

But I will fill in more blanks than that for the loyal readers out there. Why this scenario won’t happen has more to it than Brown being traded to the Oakland Raiders, it has everything to do with the Steelers’ wide receiving corps now being a giant question mark.

If Smith-Schuster does his best work when there is another threat on the field, who will that threat be? Donte Moncrief? Eli Rogers? James Washington? Diontae Johnson? Ryan Switzer? A lot of questions there, very few answers.

I can see Smith-Schuster’s stats dipping in 2019, and him hitting double-digit touchdown numbers seems to be a stretch. I think he will be right around his career average of 7.

What are your thoughts on this prediction? Do you think it will happen? Or are we crazy? Let us know by voting in the poll, and letting your voice be heard in the comment section below!