Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson has been having issues with catching the ball off and on since his career began.
The Steelers have a young and budding star at wide receiver in Diontae Johnson. His biggest problem has been the inconsistency he has shown with catching the ball. At 10 drops in 2020, he has more drops himself than the Los Angeles Rams, Washington Football Team, New England Patriots, or the Arizona Cardinals have total as teams. Even with his inconsistencies in catching the football, Johnson is far too dangerous of a ball carrier to keep off of the field in any capacity.
With how crucial it is to keep him on the field, what would be the most beneficial way for him to make the most plays considering his issues at receiving? I would consider a position change. Players like Antonio Gibson, Richard Sherman, and even Ryan Tannehill all switched from being wide receivers to their current positions in the NFL. Ryan Tannehill was a WR at Texas A&M until his final year in college, where he switched to being the starting quarterback. Sherman, after a season-ending injury in college, switched to cornerback for a couple of seasons and became one of the best in the NFL.
The best comparison would be Antonio Gibson. Gibson ran the ball, and caught the ball in college, as he was used as Memphis’s gadget guy. He would line up all over the field and seemed prime to be a WR in the NFL. Yet coming into training camp Washington had question marks at RB after Derrius Guice’s arrest.
They committed him to running back and he has been a revelation for the position. In 12 games he has accumulated 892 all-purpose yards along with 11 touchdowns. Antonio Gibson had a bit more going for him in the size department at 6’2 and 229 pounds. Diontae Johnson would need to put on another 10-15 pounds on his frame to be able to handle the toll on his body the RB position would bring. He is as good of a RedZone threat at the position as there is in the league and his ability as a dual-purpose back allows him to be viable in almost all packages for their offense.
What options do the Steelers have?
Diontae Johnson is the most elusive player on the Steelers’ roster. The first guy in space that could make a play on Johnson rarely does because of how slippery he is. Johnson’s ability to change directions would make him one of the better running backs in the league instantly. Even with suspect hands, he could still be a weapon out of the backfield catching the ball. A lot of his best plays come off of short receptions that he turns into big gains as it is now. Imagining him as a threat to catch screen passes from the RB position is an intriguing thought.
Let me be clear by saying that I think that there is only the slimmest of chances if any that this would happen. Johnson would have to change his body and be okay with the fact that his career likely wouldn’t last as long with the toll the position can take on the body. Moreso, Johnson could be losing on money as WR’s tend to make more per year than RB’s.
Yet if Johnson continues to have problems catching the ball, he may not be making much money anyway. He is quickly finding himself going from another surprising prospect from the MAC to a potential superstar as a WR to a possible bust. Yet, if he happens to fix the drop issue he would be well on his way to being one of the best WR’s in the league.
Let’s consider that James Conner probably won’t be back in 2021. Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr. have done nothing to impress in the 2 games Conner has missed in the latter half of the season. There is a clear question mark at running back for the Steelers after 2020. So we have to ask if the answer for the Steelers might already be there in Diontae Johnson. The question is whether Johnson would be up to it. He would have to add on some weight as being 5’10 and 183 pounds he wouldn’t be able to handle the wear and tear of the position. If he were to get himself closer to 200 pounds at his height, he’d probably be able to handle it.