The top 25 NFL players under the age of 25

6. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

When you play opposite one of the most prolific wide receivers in the NFL, you are going to get opportunities. Which is why so many people are intrigued to watch what Juju Smith-Schuster does this upcoming year without Antonio Brown – the latter a member of the Oakland Raiders.

Of course, it was the younger performer who led the Pittsburgh Steelers in receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,426) in 2018. But was that a product of playing opposite of arguably the best wide receiver in the league this decade? There’s no denying the 2017 second-round pick from Southern Cal is extremely talented. But fair or unfair, it’s a question that the 22-year-old performer will hear a lot this fall.

As a rookie, Smith-Schuster played in 14 games and made seven starts. He was targeted 79 times and hauled in 58 passes for 917 yards and seven scores, averaging an solid 15.8 yards per reception. The standout receiver saw a lot more passes his way (166) this past season from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Could that number go up this upcoming season? The Steelers are very young for the most part at the position, although veteran wideout Donte Moncrief could wind up being a very productive free-agent find.

As for the one-time USC Trojan, he will clearly be in the spotlight throughout 2019. So far, Smith-Schuster has been up to the task. But the script and the performer are very different these days.

Next: No. 5