8 third-year breakout players ahead of the 2021 NFL season 📈
✍️ @PFF_Sam https://t.co/1S8FQeMynW
— PFF (@PFF) June 24, 2021
If you think the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be a bad football team this season because of the losses to retirement and free agency, I think you are going to be shocked. Despite the losses, there is still plenty of young talent on the roster to keep this team competitive.
Two of those young talents made the Pro Football Focus list of third-year breakout players for 2021. The two Steelers that made the cut are wide receiver Diontae Johnson and linebacker Devin Bush.
Bush was on his way to a second strong season in 2020 when he tore his ACL against the Cleveland Browns costing him the last 11 games of the season.
Johnson played the 2020 season but it was forgettable. Johnson led the league in drops and despite leading the team with 923 receiving yards, walked away disappointed in missing out on so many opportunities.
In terms of which guy has a better shot at a true breakout season, it has to be Bush assuming he’s healthy. His athleticism is off the charts and with the Steelers losses on defense, he is going to have many opportunities for splash plays in coverage and as a pass rusher.
Johnson, on the other hand, is part of a very crowded wide receiver group led by JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool. While I do expect Johnson to cut down the drops this season, I do not look for him to lead the team in targets as he did in 2020.
