NFL Draft: Re-drafting every first-round pick from 2017 NFL Draft
42. . WR. San Francisco 49ers. JuJu Smith-Schsuter. 31. player
NFL Draft: Re-drafting every first-round pick from 2017 NFL Draft: 31, WR JuJu Smith-Schsuter
Originally selected 62nd overall (+31)
JuJu Smith-Schuster was not the guy in Pittsburgh. He was exposed as a true number two as opposed to a number one option and appears as though he could use a team built to rely heavily on the run game and defense.
Well, over the past few seasons, that is exactly what the San Francisco 49ers identity has been. Quarterback play from both Brian Hoyer and Nick Mullens has been awful in 2017 and 2018 respectively, so it doesn’t make sense to draft a more capable receiver when their numbers would suffer due to the inept play at the position anyway. Before Jimmy Garoppolo arrived on the scene in 2019, the 49ers were simply treading water.
The addition of Smith-Schuster wasn’t going to put them in championship contention right off the bat, but it could have set their future up for an incredible run. Once Garoppolo threw on a 49ers uniform, the team took off. They relied exclusively on their running game and defense to push them over the top. By all accounts, things were heading in the right direction as the squad made the Super Bowl in 2019.
Although George Kittle was a big-time player, the 49ers had only a handful of those and ultimately came up short in the biggest game of the year. Now, wide receiver Deebo Samuel coming into his own, Smith-Schuster would’ve been the perfect offensive weapon to add to this group.