03-12-2024, 07:44 PM -
The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson and pick No. 240 to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and pick No. 178, according to league sources.
When the Steelers selected Johnson in the third round of the 2019 draft, he had many of the same characteristics as former Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown. At 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, he had a similar body type. Like Brown, he excelled at a MAC school and flew somewhat under the radar on draft day. But more than anything, Johnson was like his predecessor in that he had an elite ability to get in and out of cuts.
That pristine route-running ability has helped Johnson land at the top of many NextGen stats lists as one of the league’s most open receivers. He used that skillset to reach his first and only Pro Bowl in 2021, recording 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns while quickly becoming quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite target.
However, his production has fallen off in the years since. In an offense full of dysfunction, with former offensive coordinator Matt Canada running a vanilla offense and quarterback Kenny Pickett unable to play well enough to keep his job, Johnson went the entire 2022 season without scoring a touchdown. He rebounded to some degree in 2023, catching 51 passes in 13 games for 717 yards and five touchdowns. He also often drew the ire of fans for his frequent drops and the perplexing tendency to run backward after making catches.
https://theathletic.com/5337389/2024/03/...ers-trade/
When the Steelers selected Johnson in the third round of the 2019 draft, he had many of the same characteristics as former Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown. At 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, he had a similar body type. Like Brown, he excelled at a MAC school and flew somewhat under the radar on draft day. But more than anything, Johnson was like his predecessor in that he had an elite ability to get in and out of cuts.
That pristine route-running ability has helped Johnson land at the top of many NextGen stats lists as one of the league’s most open receivers. He used that skillset to reach his first and only Pro Bowl in 2021, recording 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns while quickly becoming quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite target.
However, his production has fallen off in the years since. In an offense full of dysfunction, with former offensive coordinator Matt Canada running a vanilla offense and quarterback Kenny Pickett unable to play well enough to keep his job, Johnson went the entire 2022 season without scoring a touchdown. He rebounded to some degree in 2023, catching 51 passes in 13 games for 717 yards and five touchdowns. He also often drew the ire of fans for his frequent drops and the perplexing tendency to run backward after making catches.
https://theathletic.com/5337389/2024/03/...ers-trade/