Is Johnny Holton the Steelers replacement for Darrius Heyward-Bey

The Steelers lost their long-time special teams standout this season in Darrius Heyward-Bey. Could Johnny Holton be his replacement in Pittsburgh?

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the Steelers wide receiver room this offsesaon. Antonio Brown forced his way out the door to join the Oakland Raiders, and JuJu Smith-Schuster will be forced into the number one receiver role.

One of the biggest discussions this offsesaon for the Steelers is centered around who will emerge as their number two wide receiver option. There are three legitimate candidates to do so. James Washington, Donte Moncrief, and rookie Diontae Johnson will all be battling to earn that title.

Outside of them, there is a battle in the slot between Ryan Switzer and Eli Rogers – both of which have proven to be capable slot receivers.

However, with the spotlight currently on the six receivers previously mentioned, are we overlooking newly acquired Johnny Holton?

Regardless of your opinion of him, the Steelers loved Darrius Heyward-Bey. Though he had very little to offer up on offense, it was his special teams ability that caught their eye. Holton could do similar things for the Steelers this year.

Heyward-Bey spent 5 seasons as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and played in 72 games. However, he managed just 33 receptions during that time for just 517 yards. In fact, D.H.B. failed to collect more than 6 receptions in 4 of his 5 seasons in Pittsburgh.

Johnny Holton spent two years on the Raiders roster and played in 32 total games before being waived on September 3rd last year. Though Holton has earned just 22 targets in his first three years, he possesses a similar skill set to Heyward-Bey.

Much like Heyward-Bey, Holton still purposes as a deep threat when called upon on offense. In 2017, he caught 9 passes for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns. His career average of 22.9 yards per catch is even higher than D.H.B.’s 20.9, and he showed blazing speed down the field at times throughout his career.

The Steelers are currently flooded with receivers battling for jobs, and Johnny Holton still has a long way to go to prove that he is worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster. However, the Steelers kept Heyward-Bey around for 5 years despite adding very little contributions to Pittsburgh’s offense.

While it still may be unlikely that Holton ends up on the team in September, it’s interesting to note the similarities he shares with former special teams star, Darrius Heyward-Bey. If the Steelers value special teams like I think they do, there is a real possibility that Holton could make this roster – despite all the receivers battling around him.