10 most overrated NFL players going into 2020

9. JuJu Smith-Schuster

Smith-Schuster’s struggles playing without Antonio Brown have been well chronicled. Last year he got the added excuse of playing without his starting quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger’s return should put the former Southern Cal under intense scrutiny in 2020.

Most fans still believe he’s one of the clear-cut No. 1 wide receivers in football. The reality of his production is that it profiles a lot closer to a moderately above-average No. 2 wideout. He really struggles to generate separation when he’s matched up against top cornerbacks around the league.

When you look at his three-year professional career his work in 2018 is starting to look like a significant outlier. The 1,426 receiving yards he posted that year are more than 500 yards higher than either of his other campaigns. It’s reasonable to think his production will bounce back from last year’s abysmal total of 552 receiving yards, but expecting him to go back over 1,000 yards seems like an overly-optimistic projection.

Smith-Schuster deserves a significant target share in the Steelers offense, but the unit would be much more dangerous if they acquired a bona fide No. 1 wideout to play alongside him. As it stands, he’ll struggle to put up big numbers when the opposing secondary can focus so much attention on stopping him.