Productive as rookie despite obstacles, Diontae Johnson primed for Steelers WR Year 2 surge
He was the 10th wide receiver selected in last year’s draft, and unlike eight of the nine taken ahead of him, Diontae Johnson did not have the benefit of Power 5 conference competition.
As Johnson embarked on his rookie year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he mostly didn’t have the benefit of serviceable quarterback play, either. Making matters worse, Johnson spent the final 14 games of his rookie season hindered by a groin injury serious enough it ultimately required surgery.
Johnson had enough excuses at his disposal to mail in a redshirt-like first NFL season. Instead, he ended up having one of the best for a rookie wide receiver in Steelers history.
His 59 catches led NFL rookies and were the second-most ever by a Steelers rookie. His six touchdowns were second most on the team, and he was named second-team All Pro at punt returner by the Associated Press.
With the benefit of a year of experience, Hall of Fame-level QB play and a healthy body, how big of a jump can Johnson make in Year 2? The past two decades of Steelers history suggest a major one.
The Tribune-Review looked at the first two seasons of 10 of the 12 most productive Steelers wide receivers the team drafted since they took Hines Ward in 1998 (Troy Edwards and Emmanuel Sanders were the lone omissions). What it showed was a collective doubling of catches, receiving yards and touchdowns — on average — between the players’ first and second seasons.
That Johnson had 59 catches for 680 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie bodes well for what he could show as a second-year receiver in 2020. So, why doesn’t Johnson seem to have generated an appropriate buzz around the league as a potential breakout star at receiver?
“It’s been like that since I was in college at Toledo,” Johnson said during a video call with media this week. “Everybody doesn’t really know me like that. I just have to keep doing what I am doing, keep working until they respect me. That stuff doesn’t faze me. Everybody doesn’t always have a story. They don’t know me and how I work. They can say whatever they want. I am still going to continue to be me and help the Steelers win.”
Rookie WR Diontae Johnson reps outside (and not in slot) during 1st Steelers OTAhttps://t.co/Rnbntt6RDA
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) May 21, 2019
Of the 10 Steelers receivers drafted since 1998 who were examined, only one — Antwaan Randle El — saw his production drop between his first and second seasons. Many enjoyed dramatic leaps.
That includes the two receivers taken in the drafts immediately preceding Johnson at similar draft slots (he was taken with the 66th pick).
JuJu Smith-Schuster (No. 62 overall in 2017) went from 58 to 111 catches and from 917 to 1,426 yards between his rookie and second seasons. The 60th overall pick the next year, James Washington, upped his numbers significantly in receptions (16 to 44), yards (217 to 735) and touchdowns (one to three).
The Steelers’ all-time leading receiver — Ward — went from a 15-catch, 246-yard rookie season to a 61-catch, 638-yard year in 1999. Their most productive receiver over the past decade — Antonio Brown — went from 16 catches for 167 yards in 2010 to 69 catches for 1,108 yards his second season. The No. 8 overall pick in 2000, Plaxico Burress had a dramatic leap from his first to second seasons, too.
On aggregate, the 10 receivers examined enjoyed increases of production of 105% more receptions, 97% more receiving yards and twice as many touchdowns from their first to second NFL seasons.
For Johnson, that would translate to a 121-catch, 1,340-yard, 10-touchdown season — surely enough to achieve his stated goal of making the Pro Bowl.
A potential hiccup? The unique offseason borne out of the coronavirus pandemic that has limited team workouts and direct, in-person coach-to-player interaction. Still, even as he continues the latter stages of his rehab from February sports hernia surgery, Johnson found a routine regimen for improvement.
“I am working on catching the ball, having strong hands,” he said. “Working on getting my routes better, more tuned up. I have plenty of stuff to work on. Not just those two. I am working on my game all around.
“This whole pandemic has been crazy. I have been just staying to myself, still trying to get in the work. I am getting through it. The rest of the guys on the team are doing the same thing as well. I am just staying out of the way and staying ready.”
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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