The Pittsburgh Steelers selected wide receiver Diontae Johnson in the third-round (66th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. The hope was that he would be a great piece that could help them in the post-Antonio Brown era.
So far, Johnson's tenure with the team is off to an exciting start.
Diontae Johnson missed the first week of the preseason due to injury. However, he made his debut on Saturday and didn't waste any time getting fans all riled up.
Johnson ended the game with three receptions for 46 yards and one touchdown. That one touchdown was a ridiculous diving grab that showed off his athleticism, range, hands and concentration all in one.
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Diontae Johnson had an absolutely ridiculous season in his Sophomore year back in 2017 with Toledo. He racked up 74 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Although he had a solid Junior year in 2018, it didn't live up to the hype. In just one less game, Johnson had 49 receptions for 761 yards and eight touchdowns.
Again, that's really good – but it's a clear step back. Due to that, Johnson's draft stock definitely took a hit. However, he was still highly-touted and there are high expectations for him.
The good news for Johnson is that he's in a great situation. He's on a team with a veteran Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger and has an elite wide receiver in JuJu Smith-Schuster to take all the pressure and attention off of him. He should still have a big role and could end up putting up strong numbers.
For now though, there's still a lot to do. Johnson needs to prove he can perform before the Pittsburgh Steelers give him that big role. Diontae Johnson took the right step towards that on Saturday, and did so with a dazzling catch.
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