For the first time in a while, the outlook on the wide receiver position is quite unclear. After trading Antonio Brown to the Raiders this offseason, JuJu stands to see an uptick in targets as the Steelers’ number one receiver.
However, if history is any indication, Brown’s departure leaves 168 targets to go around.
My question is this: Who will emerge as the number two receiver in Pittsburgh this year?
There are essentially three candidates to do this for the Steelers: James Washington, Donte Moncrief, and Diontae Johnson. I recently took a poll to get the fans’ view of who they believe will come out on top of this three-person positional battle in 2019. Here’s how they voted:
Who will emerge as the #Steelers #2 wide receiver in 2019? #SteelerNation @StillCurtain
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) May 9, 2019
With 265 votes, it was a very close debate. However, veteran receiver Donte Moncrief ultimately came out on top. It’s entirely possible that the former Jaguars and Colts receiver could begin the 2019 season as Steelers’ number two wide out.
At the same time, it’s possible to envision a scenario where either James Washington or rookie Diontae Johnson come out on top.
Between the three candidates to fill this role as Ben Roethlisberger’s second in line, each offers something a little different. Moncrief offers a veteran presence that no other receiver on the team as of now can give them. He is entering his 6th NFL season, though his best year, ironically enough, came in 2015 on the Colts- where Andrew Luck played just 7 games.
James Washington is built in the mold of JuJu. Though he isn’t close to the same caliber of player at this point in time, Washington excels at the catch point and has an incredibly strong pair of hands. He may offer more as a deep threat than JuJu, but his route running is shaky, to say the least.
Then there is rookie receiver, Diontae Johnson. Johnson was the surprise pick of the draft for the Steelers – not because people were not expecting the Steelers to draft a receiver, but they didn’t think it would be Johnson. Upon further review and after trying to diagnose the Steelers thought process for the pick, I can see how Johnson could be used in the ‘Antonio Brown’ role. Johnson’s skill set probably compliments JuJu better than the other two receivers, as he is a twitchier player that creates more separation.
Though it’s impossible to say for sure who will emerge as the Steelers number two receiver in 2019, it doesn’t hurt to speculate. If I had to make a prediction, I think the Steelers will give former 2nd round pick, James Washington, ample opportunity to prove himself. However, if Diontae Johnson can prove to create separation in the NFL like he did at Toledo, he will no doubt emerge as one of Ben’s favorite targets on the team.
Who do you think will emerge as the Steelers number two receiver in 2019?