The Pittsburgh Steelers selected wide receiver Diontae Johnson with their first of two picks in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. Johnson is an undersized speedster who uses short routes to get big yards with his ability to run after the catch. He’s also an accomplished kick return and was a touchdown machine at Toledo.
Now we have to have a conversation about where Johnson fits with the rest of the Steelers wide receivers. Obviously, the similarities to former Steeler Antonio Brown are evident. And we don’t simply mean in play style. By all accounts, Johnson is a hard worker and very passionate about the game of football.
But his size and skill set does create something of a logjam at the wide receiver position. JuJu Smith-Schuster is locked in as a starter and Donte Moncrief and James Washington should compete to start opposite him.
This puts Johnson in a competition with two players, Ryan Switzer and Eli Rogers, who both offer similar packages on the field. The one saving grace for Johnson might be if he can line up as a boundary receiver. This remains to be seen as his size isn’t ideal and his route running needs some polish and professionalism.
But obviously, when it comes to drafting wide receivers, we have to give the Steelers something of the benefit of the doubt. Let’s just hope Johnson is more Emmanuel Sanders and less Demarcus Ayers or Sammie Coates.
