In his first mock draft for the 2017 NFL Draft, ESPN's Todd McShay has the Redskins taking USC wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster in the first round. Over the next couple of months, draft pundits will be releasing mock drafts and Redskins.com will provide these for you. A lot will change between now and April 27 – the first of three days of the 2017 NFL Draft which will be held in Philadelphia this time — such as the selection order, prospects committing/de-committing to the process and risers and fallers.
We've already looked at a few of the pundit's inital mock drafts and today's look is at ESPN Todd McShay's, which has the Redskins taking USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. (Since his first mock draft of the year came out in mid-December before the conclusion of the regular season, he has the Redskins picking at No. 22).
"Watching Smith-Schuster's tape, it's clear that he loves the game and works hard," McShay writes (ESPN Insider subscription required). "He's not a burner by any stretch, but his good size (6-2, 220), ball skills and toughness will keep him in the first-round mix for teams with a need at the position, such as Washington, which could lose Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson to free agency."
Smith-Schuster announced on Saturday his decision to enter the NFL Draft after the conclusion of his junior season. He leaves USC as one of the most productive college wide receivers in recent memory.
In three seasons with the Trojans, Smith-Schuster has collected 213 receptions for 3,092 yards and 25 touchdowns. Eleven times during his college career, the wide receiver recorded at least 100 receiving yards in a game.
During his freshman season in 2014, Smith-Schuster caught 54 passes for 724 yards and three touchdowns. He was selected to the All-Pac-12 second-team and was a Sporting News Freshman All-American.
His sophomore season was his best in terms of statistical output, as he hauled in 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning AP All-American second-team honors in the process.
During his junior season, Smith-Schuster collected 70 receptions for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns. Two different times during the season Smith-Schuster caught three touchdowns and he capped off his time as a Trojan by hauling in seven receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown against Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
