The Pittsburgh Steelers have some big shoes to fill at the wide receiver position. Antonio Brown – who was turning out to be more of a cancer than anything else as of late – was traded to the Oakland Raiders this off-season.
As part of the package, the Steelers received a 3rd round pick that they ultimately turned into wide receiver, Diontae Johnson.
Johnson didn’t blow you away with his college numbers this year (49 catches, 761 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns), but his traits and savvy football IQ have drawn comparisons to both Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. Johnson was also a devastating return man at Toledo – averaging nearly 26 yards per kick return, 18.5 yards per punt return, and 4 return touchdowns over the past two seasons.
With new blood in the mix, let’s talk about how the Steelers 2019 wide receivers should be used:
JuJu Smith-Schuster
JuJu Smith-Schuster is the clear cut number one wide receiver. That doesn’t mean that Pittsburgh needs to play him solely at the ‘X’ position.
JuJu is one of the best receivers in the league working out of the slot. He’s extremely physical after the catch and in space – leading all receivers in this department last season. I expect Randy Fichtner to line JuJu up all over the field and find ways to get the ball in the hands of his best play-maker.