How Will the Patriots Utilize New WR JuJu Smith-Schuster in the Offense?

The Patriots recovered nicely from top in-house free agent Jakobi Meyers’s departure by signing former Pro Bowl wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal, according to reports.

My goal is certainly not to trash Meyers on the way out. He was ridiculously reliable for the Patriots as a home-grown talent who out-performed all expectations and players at his position who were far more hyped than him. There’s a lot of love for Jakobi here. But the bottom line is that the Pats offense needs to be more dynamic, and JSS overlaps enough with Meyers that they will keep those elements in the offense.

It’s easy to envision offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien using the 26-year-old as a power slot who mostly wins between the numbers on digs, crossers, and quick-hitters. But there’s more upside with the former Steelers and Chiefs wideout to produce on the outside and as a ball carrier, where he averaged 5.9 yards after the catch and forced eight missed tackles in 2022.

Although the box score production was comparable, and it remains to be seen if Smith-Schuster can build a similar repertoire with quarterback Mac Jones, the Patriots needed a move like this.

Let’s take a deep dive into Smith-Schuster’s film to break down the receiver the Patriots are getting:

WINNING BETWEEN THE NUMBERS & OUT OF THE SLOT

When you look at Smith-Schuster’s route tree and targets from last season, he wins in extremely similar areas to Meyers on short and intermediate routes between the numbers.