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NFL Draft 2017: Ranking the top 15 wide receivers

By Zach Bigalke

Dec 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver KD Cannon (9) catches a pass for a touchdown in the first half against the Boise State Broncos during the Cactus Bowl at Chase Field. Baylor defeated Boise State 31-12. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver KD Cannon (9) catches a pass for a touchdown in the first half against the Boise State Broncos during the Cactus Bowl at Chase Field. Baylor defeated Boise State 31-12. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) makes a catch for a touchdown against Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Christian Campbell (1) during the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) makes a catch for a touchdown against Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Christian Campbell (1) during the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Had JuJu Smith-Schuster been able to enter the NFL Draft in 2016, he might have been selected ahead of all other receivers. As a sophomore, he doubled his receiving yards from his freshman numbers to finish ahead of all other Power Five receivers in that statistical category. But the slump came as a junior rather than as a sophomore.

In 2016, Smith-Schuster caught the same number of touchdown passes as he had the year before, but he hauled in 19 fewer catches and compiled 500 fewer yards.

Part of that can be attributed to the learning curve of working with new quarterbacks Max Browne and Sam Darnold. He has also been prone to rely too heavily on his size to win matchups against defensive backs, and could stand to work on his route running and hands. His performance at the NFL Combine was also underwhelming. Smith-Schuster ran just 4.54 in the 40 and finished 11 full inches off the top mark in the vertical leap.

But at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Smith-Schuster still offers prototypical split end size. While his junior season and his Combine performance dropped his draft stature a bit, whichever team has the Trojan fall in its lap is going to gain a major weapon for its aerial attack.

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