LATROBE, Pa. -- As the second pick of the third round in the 2019 NFL Draft, Diontae Johnson represented the third consecutive draft in which the Steelers selected a receiver within the first three rounds. I wrote about him after he was drafted, but after seeing him in the first day in pads, he flashed the skills throughout practice that attracted the Steelers' attention.
Here's a recap of the plays and good traits he's shown, and how they could lead to the bigger plays he delivered in college:
Johnson's best assets are his crisp release and his routes — how he creates separation from defenders in coverage. That doesn't always translate directly to the NFL because of the increase in defenders' speed, athleticism and skill, so there was a big question as to whether Johnson's skills would give him any advantages right away or if he'd have to amplify them before being able to make an impact.
Based on the first three days of camp, Johnson has shown those skills could make him very useful as a rookie. He's been clean off the line in getting into his routes and quick off his breaks into the eventual route and direction which his quarterback will target.
Sunday's seven-shots drill was the first set won by the offense in practices this camp, and largely thanks to the footwork of Johnson. The defense held a 3-2 lead going into the sixth play, with Mason Rudolph working with the second team. Johnson broke open on some extended plays — both of the final plays — to get open for the score. The most impressive was a quick juke he put on Kameron Kelly that left the former AAF cornerback looking around as if he couldn't understand how Johnson got so much separation.
Right now the Steelers just want to see Johnson do the little things right, and that's what he's doing at camp. His footwork showed well in 11-on-11 drills as he created separation from cornerbacks and safeties, even on plays he wasn't targeted.
Create separation as a receiver is the first essential skill, and that's when he can start putting together a complete game. Watch one of Johnson's bigger touchdowns at Toledo and how quick he got off the ball and broke outside of the cornerback to create the space needed for the deep throw:
What we've seen so far is his footwork, but let's not minimize the potential of Johnson's hands either. He made several spectacular grabs and combat catches in college. Watch how he tips this ball to himself 40 yards downfield against Ball State:
Juju Smith-Schuster set the standard for Steelers rookie receivers' success when he went for 917 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017. But as we've seen with James Washington, it's not always easy for rookie receivers to develop a rapport with their quarterback, even when it is Ben Roethlisberger.
But if Johnson can create this kind of separation when he gets an opportunity against first team cornerbacks, like Joe Haden and Steven Nelson, maybe he can be the next receiver to set the rookie standard.
MORE CARTER’S CLASSROOM
July 26: Cam is still the captain
July 25: Pouncey, DeCastro, 1-2 punch
July 24: Rudolph vs. Dobbs
July 23: Allen has something to prove
