Juju Smith-Schuster is one of the best wide receivers expected to hit the free agent market. While he might not receive the same payday as Jakobi Meyers and Allen Lazard, the former Pro Bowler should have a strong market, as every team in the league is looking for ways to improve their passing game. The 2022 season proved that Smith-Schuster can still play at a solid level, but which teams make the most sense for him in 2023?
Top 5 Juju Smith-Schuster Free Agent Team Fits, Ranked
1. Kansas City Chiefs
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Throughout the course of his career, Juju Smith-Schuster has been at his best when he’s been the second-best option in the passing game. Whether it was playing behind Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh or Travis Kelce last year, Smith-Schuster can be a very productive player when defenses aren’t scheming around his abilities. Last year was Smith-Schuster’s best since 2018, and it stands to reason that this combination could be even more lethal with another year under their collective belts. While the Chiefs will need to be creative to make the money work, it’s clear that Smith-Schuster and Kansas City are a great match.
Don’t overlook this: Juju Smith-Schuster had a great stretch of plays in the Chiefs’ most recent drive. Stepping up. pic.twitter.com/p1YjmOJabr
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) February 13, 2023
2. Baltimore Ravens
No matter who is under center in 2023, the Ravens need to add more talent at the wide receiver position. The jury is still out on Rashod Bateman after an injury-filled 2022, and he’s the only receiver on the roster with any type of upside. Devin Duvernay did his best in an enhanced role, but the fact remains that this team needs to find more reliable weapons. Juju Smith-Schuster would be the top option in this passing game, which hasn’t been a good thing to this point in his career. However, he would help solve the need at receiver and free the Ravens to address a different position in the NFL Draft.
3. New York Giants
Brian Daboll brought the New York Giants back to the playoffs for the first time in 2016 despite an absolutely atrocious wide receiver room. You never want your passing game to rely on Isaiah Hodgins, Richie James, and Darius Slayton, but that is what the Giants had to do last year. Smith-Schuster would provide Daniel Jones with a reliable presence in the short and intermediate part of the field, something he didn’t have last season. The former first-round pick broke out during his first year with Daboll, so it stands to reason he can continue to grow in Year 2 with better weapons.
4. Chicago Bears
If the Chicago Bears have Juju Smith-Schuster at the top of their free agent wishlist, they will get him. The team boasts an absurd amount of cap space and desperately needs to provide more weapons for Justin Fields. Fields played well last year, despite Darnell Mooney being the only receiver of note on the roster. With Mooney working the perimeter, Smith-Schuster could tear defenses apart over the middle while providing a reliable checkdown option for Fields whenever he goes to scramble.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are great, but the rest of the depth chart leaves a lot to be desired. This lack of depth becomes even worse when you consider that Keenan Allen is 30 and recent reports indicate that he might be a cap casualty. If Allen goes, perhaps the Chargers feel that Juju Smith-Schuster could be a younger, more cost-effective fill-in that allows the team to spend their remaining dollars to address other team needs.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports
