Diontae Johnson

Johnson is off to Carolina to help resurrect 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, following a five-year stint in Pittsburgh that was mostly marked by tons of volume and bottom-of-the-barrel efficiency. Neither big (5-10, 183), nor fast (4.53 40), the 2019 third-round pick nonetheless was quick to make an impression in Pittsburgh, using his impressive agility and acceleration to get open on short routes and pick up yards after the catch. Johnson led the team in targets each of his first four seasons, with 92 as a rookie (59-680-5) and then more than 140 each of the next three years (88-923-7 / 107-1,161-8 / 86/882/0). His disastrous efficiency in 2022 (6.0 YPT, zero TDs on 147 targets) was followed by lesser volume and improved efficiency in 2023 (8.2 YPT, five TDs on 87 targets in 13 games), making it a bounce-back season of sorts even if Johnson didn't help fantasy managers. The look of Carolina's roster heading into the 2024 Draft gives Johnson a chance to get back to the type of volume that all but ensures fantasy relevance, albeit in an offense that may be just as bad as what he dealt with in Pittsburgh (or even worse). The Panthers don't have a TE with any significant track record as a pass catcher, and their only WR that's ever made fantasy noise is Adam Thielen, who put up huge numbers over the first eight weeks last year but then averaged just 43.3 yards over the final nine game (and now will turn 34 in August). It seems the team is heavily counting on Johnson, which didn't really work out for the Steelers but did lead to the one big fantasy year in 2021.

Johnson set a new standard for the high-volume, low-efficiency receiving season last year, finishing with 86 catches for 882 yards and nary a touchdown on 147 targets. Even in an offense with miserable quarterback play, it's the type of performance that leads to serious concern about his future (including the workload). Johnson has always been elusive and tricky to tackle, but drops have been a recurring theme and he's neither big (5-10, 183) nor fast (4.53 40) by NFL standards. On the other hand, he was an extremely productive fantasy player as recently as 2021 (107-1,161-8) and the Steelers only have WR George Pickens and TE Pat Freiermuth as serious target competition. Should second-year QB Kenny Pickett improve, Johnson would presumably be one of the prime beneficiaries even if the target volume takes a necessary step back.

Johnson is on the small side for an NFL wideout, and while he perhaps plays a bit faster than his 4.53 40 time from the 2016 Combine suggests, he won't be mistaken for a burner anytime soon. No matter, the Steelers have peppered him with targets, and it's hard to fault them when you see how easily Johnson gets open on short routes and the way he puts defenders on skates once the ball is in his hands. The big concern in 2020 was drops, with 13 a league high and ultimately costing him a 1,000-yard season. Last year, Johnson cut the drops (five) and surpassed 1,000 yards with relative ease, though it required a boatload of targets (169, t-2nd) in an offense with poor blocking and a washed-up version of Ben Roethlisberger. While it's not hard to imagine even better numbers in the future, Johnson's drawbacks for 2022 sound awfully similar to 2021. Mitch Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett might prove better than late-stage Roethlisberger, but probably not by much, and the O-line landed just one clear upgrade in the offseason (RG James Daniels). Then again, those weaknesses might work in Johnson's favor when it comes to volume. As much as the Steelers hope for breakthroughs from Pickett, Chase Claypool and rookie wideout George Pickens, there's also a chance they end up overly reliant on short throws again, in which case Johnson, TE Pat Freiermuth and RB Najee Harris would stay well fed.

Johnson had one of the stranger seasons in recent memory. While he missed only one game, he was benched in others for drops and also got injured early in Week 5. Johnson wound up leading the NFL with a whopping 15 drops, yet still managed 144 targets on a team with two other viable WR options. Johnson’s per-play numbers (10.5 YPC and 6.4 YPT) were among the league’s lowest, partly due to drops, but mostly because the Steelers ran a bizarre, pass-heavy offense based heavily on short throws. While teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster finished 35th in aDOT at 5.6 yards, Johnson was 30th at 8.0. At 5-10, 183, Johnson is small, and his timed speed (4.53 40) is below average for a player his size. But put him in a uniform, and he looks like another small, poor-40-timed former Steelers receiver, Antonio Brown. Like Brown, Johnson’s quickness and burst jumps off the screen, and he even hauled in four catches of 40-plus yards last year despite the low aDOT. Of course, Johnson’s focus needs to improve — 15 drops is off-the-charts high, especially for a player catching passes at close range — and coach Mike Tomlin’s tolerance is not infinite. Moreover, Ben Roethlisberger looked shaky last year, and it’s unclear whether he will regain his former arm strength. That said, Johnson is one of the quickest wideouts in the league, so even with Smith-Schuster re-signing and second-year man Chase Claypool around, he should see plenty of work.

A third-round pick in 2019, Johnson saw regular snaps once JuJu Smith-Schuster got hurt and more than held his own under the circumstances. While his per-play numbers were pedestrian - 11.5 YPC, 7.4 YPT - Johnson was paired with two of the league's worst quarterbacks, yet still managed to score five touchdowns and catch two passes for 40-plus yards on 92 targets, mostly lining up outside. At 5-10, 183, and with a below-average 40 time (4.53), he has about the same physical specs as Antonio Brown, and like Brown, Johnson is quick and explosive. The Steelers have been wizards at developing smaller young receivers - from Santonio Holmes to Mike Wallace to Brown to Emmanuel Sanders - and Johnson could be the next in line, especially with Ben Roethlisberger healthy again. But Smith-Schuster, who already has Roethlisberger's trust, should be the clear No. 1, and Johnson will compete with 2018 second-round pick James Washington, 2020 second-round pick Chase Claypool and tight ends Vance McDonald and Eric Ebron for second fiddle. Johnson had sports hernia surgery after the season but is expected to make a full recovery for the start of training camp.

Despite a poor performance at the Combine, Johnson has the tools to make an impact with the Steelers as a depth receiver/returner. He actually had a faster time in the forty (4.53) than Antonio Brown (4.56) and is now in line to compete with Eli Rogers and Ryan Switzer for slot work. He could also add value on special teams, having led the nation in punt return average (19.9) at the collegiate level the past two years, while scoring four times on kick or punt returns.