PITTSBURGH _ The biggest improvement an NFL player makes is between his first and second seasons in the league. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin always makes this point, and he has a strong list of reasons to back it up.
Rookies, no matter how much they train, are not conditioned like pro athletes. And as a result, they have a hard time keeping up with the pace veterans set. They also process the game at different speeds from a mental standpoint after a year of being exposed to professional concepts that aren't prevalent in the college game.
So what can the Steelers expect from the likes of Devin Bush, Diontae Johnson and the rest of the 2019 rookie class in 2020?
It's a question worth pondering as training camp gets underway this week at Heinz Field. And the most intriguing case study could be Johnson for a number of reasons.
Johnson led all rookie receivers in the league with 59 catches last season. He racked up 680 yards and scored five touchdowns. He also became a factor in the return game, earning second-team All-Pro as a punt returner despite not taking over the full-time duties until midway through the season.
And all of this took place without Ben Roethlisberger throwing passes to him.
What can Johnson do with Roethlisberger back in the fold? Steelers fans haven't been the only ones considering the possibilities.
"I've thought about it since the end of last season," Johnson said Wednesday morning on a zoom call with reporters. "Just getting ready and expecting Ben to come back 100%. I'm looking forward to getting back on the field with Ben this year and helping him win games and win a championship, too.
"I know how hard he worked this offseason to get back healthy, and I know how hard I worked to prepare myself for the season. To be able to get back on the field this year is amazing. I can't wait."
If ever there was a candidate for a breakout player for the Steelers in 2020, Johnson is it.
No disrespect to Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, but Steelers receivers went from a two-time Super Bowl winner and future Hall of Fame quarterback leading the team to two players that had never taken a snap in an NFL game before last season.
Rudolph and Hodges helped the Steelers win eight games, but there are different expectations with Roethlisberger returning.
"Everyone wants to play for Ben obviously," Johnson said. "He's our leader; he's our quarterback. Everyone is locked in every play. Just the energy he brings, you want to play for a guy like Ben. He's going to help you make plays and you want to make him look good as well.
"He's different this year. He's more excited. He's anxious to get on the field and wants to play with us. That makes you want to play for him even more. That's one of the things I've been seeing from him _ engaging with me more than he did last year. I was a rookie so he wasn't talking to me like that."
Johnson went from playing fewer than half the snaps in the first two games of the season to pretty much becoming a full-time starter by midseason. It was Johnson who led the Steelers in receptions and yards in three of the final four games. Thirty-four of his 59 catches came over the final eight games of the season.
It might not have been a rookie season played under ideal circumstances, but Johnson found a way to produce. He's expecting a lot more this season.
"I learned a lot, the pace of the game and what it takes to be a pro," Johnson said. "Coming in, I really didn't know much. I was picking my teammates' brains, what to do, how to do certain things. That helped me out a lot. Now everything has kind of slowed down for me. I kind of know what to do, how to take care of my body and prepare myself for the season."
