Steelers battle for best wide receiver continues as Johnson impresses

The Steelers have a trio of wide receivers who are all proving to be solid options. Here’s why the battle for Pittsburgh’s top target is closer than ever.

Last year, there was a debate by the season’s end as to who was the best receiver in Pittsburgh. Obviously, Antonio Brown had a glowing pedigree of work for the Steelers, but JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s play elevated late in the season as Brown walked out on his team.

When Brown left the organization, there was no longer a contest as to who was the best wide receiver in Pittsburgh – it was JuJu by a landslide. Lately, however, that conversation is heating back up again.

After seeing JuJu with some extended action as the team’s number one wide-out (albeit with backup quarterbacks), he hasn’t impressed like most fans would have hoped. JuJu is catching a career-low 63.3 percent of his targets and is averaging just 52.4 receiving yards per game this season.

As the number one receiver for the Steelers this year, the 23-year old receiver has struggled to create consistent separation and has had big drops in inopportune situations.

To the surprise of many, the battle for the number one weapon in Pittsburgh is closer than we initially thought it would be at this point. Because of JuJu’s struggles and the sudden emergence of James Washington and Diontae Johnson, JuJu is no longer a shoo-in for the best wide receiver in Pittsburgh.

Dealing with the same quarterbacks this season, Washington has been far more impressive. The second-year receiver out of Oklahoma State has nearly 100 more yards and is averaging 4.2 more yards per catch (18.0 to 13.8) on 2 fewer targets than JuJu this season. Washington has also drawn several pass interference calls on the outside in JuJu’s absence.

Washington also has a significantly higher Pro Football Focus grade than JuJu this season. His 71.8 overall grade has is good for the 42nd ranked receiver in the league, while JuJu’s 66.6 is tied for 64th.

But it’s not just James Washington in discussion for the Steelers top wide-out this season. Rookie Diontae Johnson has been impressive in his own right.

Though he didn’t have a great game against the Browns in Week 13, Johnson bounced back with a tremendous performance on the road against the Cardinals last week. The shifty Toledo product caught 6 of 8 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown, but also chipped in an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Johnson doesn’t possess the physicality or size of JuJu or Washington, but he has a quick-twitch about him that no other receiver on the team can match. Johnson is fluid in and out of his breaks and creates the most separation on the team.

I get why everyone loves JuJu, but it’s important to recognize that he is not in a different class as from Washington and Johnson (at least not at this point).

Though all three players were drafted in different years, each is 23 years old. Competition will only make them better as they each try to prove why they should be the top target in the Steel City.