Current Pittsburgh Steelers compared to Thanksgiving dinner dishes

The Steelers corn: Diontae Johnson

I had a hard time finding a place for Diontae Johnson on this plate. While not an elite player, Johnson is a sharp route runner and a good top-receiving option. That said, he isn’t flashy or that vocal, so he can’t be an essential piece of the plate.

I ultimately settled for the side of corn. No one is going to go out of their way to praise the corn on the Thanksgiving table. While delicious and colorful, corn doesn’t dominate any given plate. What it does is elevate other areas while also being a tasty side dish to enjoy on its own.

Johnson is just that. He can obviously hold his own as a starter and has proven that in the past. While his recent stats have been lacking, the entire passing offense has been pathetic in recent years. He is still one of the core components though for the quarterback to target.

He also adds to other areas of the game. While not a core component of his game, he can handle some run game work on jet sweeps. He can also take some pressure off the other receivers, allowing defenses to focus on him and for other targets to get open.

No, Johnson isn’t going to be regularly praised (many still claim he has the same suspect hands he did early in his career when he really doesn’t). What he does is quietly go about his business, makes an impact every week, and can be used in a variety of ways just like corn is.