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Juju Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool were chosen to be the de facto successors to Antonio Brown in Steelers land. With Smith-Schuster being drafted first and developing into the Steelers' number one receiver, many think of him as the top receiver for the Steelers by default.
However, with Chase Claypool showing to be no slouch and entering his second season, the battle for top receiver will be an ongoing ordeal. Who will finish the season as the Steelers' number-one receiver?
Juju Smith-Schuster versus Chase Claypool: who comes out on top?
Juju Smith-Schuster
The Steelers are grandfathering in Juju Smith-Schuster as the top receiver to start the season. He has more experience and is more of a well-known commodity than Claypool. However, as the season continues, Smith-Schuster could feel his grip loosen as the king of the hill.
With only about 1400 yards and 12 touchdowns coming over the last two years, Smith-Schuster's impact has not quite been up to the Steelers' expectations. That said, he has had an Antonio Brown-like year before. In 2018, he caught 111 balls for 1426 yards and seven touchdowns.
If Smith-Schuster can come into 2021 with the same level of production he had in 2018, there is no reason the Steelers would chance ruining a good thing by throwing Chase Claypool up the depth chart. At only 24 years old, the wide receiver could stay on top for another six or seven years if he plays up to the part.
Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool still has that new car smell as he goes into his second year. With his rookie growing pains behind him, Claypool is poised to explode in year two. His "growing pains" took place in a season that saw him catch 62 balls for 873 yards and nine touchdowns. If he has a typical second-year jump, it is going to be tough for Smith-Schuster to keep up.
Additionally, it is going to be tough for the Steelers not to be wondering what could happen if he were to get even more targets as the number-one receiver. This rationale could end up giving Claypool an edge even if he is underperforming Smith-Schuster later in the year.
Who will finish the year on top? Will it be the veteran or the new kid on the block? It seems Claypool may eventually grow to pass Smith-Schuster this year, but until he balls out in 2021, nothing is guaranteed.
