JuJu Smith-Schuster

New York Giants·#9

Pos WRHt 6'1"Wt 215 lbExp 8 yrCollege USC

WR rankings →

Model Score

75.8 MODEL

2017

82.4

2018

84.4

2019

78.5

2020

80.1

2021

74.0

2022

80.9

2023

73.9

2024

74.8

2025

75.8

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

Season Stats · 16 games

3370th

Rec

34582nd

Rec Yds

185th

Rec TD

4585th

Targets

21.697th

Yds/Gm

4.699th

Fantasy PPG

Advanced Metrics EPA & Next Gen Stats

0.86392nd

EPA / target

2.9 yd50th

Avg separation

6.5 yd

Avg cushion

1.612th

YAC over exp

83.3%

Catch %

STM Take

From his 2018 Pittsburgh peak (Pro Bowl, 1,426 yards) to multiple tier 8 finishes since 2021, the trajectory has been a sustained decline punctuated by injury years. The 2025 #95 (tier 8) finish on a game log full of zeros (Wks 11, 13, 15 zero PPR; multiple sub-2 PPR weeks) confirms the career is effectively over as a meaningful contributor. At 28 he is a Kansas City veteran-leadership signing rather than a productive WR.

Smith-Schuster came out of USC as Pittsburgh's 2nd-round pick (62nd overall) in 2017 after a sophomore season at age 20. His 2018 Steelers year produced 111 catches for 1,426 yards and 7 touchdowns, plus a Pro Bowl selection. He won Super Bowl LVII with Kansas City in 2022 as Patrick Mahomes's complementary slot. New England signed him to a 3-year, $25.5M deal in 2023 (tier 8 #108), released him in 2024 after one disappointing season, and Kansas City brought him back for 2024-2025 on a 1-year veteran deal each year.

Strengths

2018 Pro Bowl season (111 catches, 1,426 yards) plus Super Bowl LVII ring with the Chiefs establishes a real career baseline.
Career receiving yards total 6,500+ across 9 seasons. The Patrick Mahomes familiarity and KC system knowledge is the reason the Chiefs keep bringing him back at the minimum.

Concerns

Four zero-PPR games in the 2025 sample (Wks 11, 13, 15, Wk 14 1.5, Wk 12 1.8). That is the production line of a healthy scratch every other week.
Three straight tier 8 finishes (#108, #101, #95) post-Pittsburgh confirms the career trajectory. Career receiving yards per season since 2021 average under 600.

What to watch: Whether Kansas City retains him through 2026 final cuts or moves on for a younger draftee at the veteran-minimum salary.