With The First Pick
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USC Receiver Juju Smith-Schuster Now Showing up

By Carl Cockerham

Oct 8, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) is pursued by Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon (23) in the fourth quarter during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC defeated Colorado 21-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) is pursued by Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon (23) in the fourth quarter during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC defeated Colorado 21-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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 USC receiver Juju Smith-Schuster came into this year as the No. 1 receiver prospect for the 2017 NFL Draft. He started the season missing in action but has started to get himself going again.

USC fans, the media, NFL scouts and I came into this season excited receiver Juju Smith-Schuster. Last year, he had himself quite a year with 1,454 yards on 89 catches and 10 TDs. But his 2016 get off to a horrible start with 11 catches for 99 yards and two TDs in the first three games.

His face was on the backs of milk cartons all over Southern California. He even started to slip on a lot of 2017 NFL Draft boards but it wasn’t his fault. He lost quarterback Kody Kessler to the Cleveland Browns and his new QB, Max Brown, is horrible.

Then in Game 4, USC sat him on the bench in favor of Sam Darnold. And in the three games since Darnold took over, Smith-Schuster has 20 catches for 334 yards and three TDs. That puts his season total at 31 catches for 443 yards and five TDs.

At 6’3″, 220 pounds, with good speed, route-running and exceptional hands, he’s producing at the rate he should now. He even has a chance to gain over 1,000 yards receiving and go over 10 TDs. And scouts certainly see his dip in production is related to his quarterbacks, not him.

So he should be back in the top receiver spot of the 2017 NFL Draft.

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