Diontae Johnson caught an NFL-rookie-best 59 passes in 2019, good for 680 yards and five touchdowns along the way.
But he's not satisfied with that.
Recently, Johnson was spotted putting in work on Instagram alongside a former Steelers great, Antonio Brown.
Heard of him?
Here's a screenshot from Brown's story, showing Johnson in the background spinning a football on his finger:
Now, before you all rush to the comments section, let me just establish this fact: I don't think this is bad. At all.
Besides the fact that Brown has recently gone on an apology tour, seemingly getting back on track for an eventual NFL return (possibly with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay?), Johnson can absolutely benefit from working with somebody of Brown's caliber, style and stature.
The two are virtually identical physically, Brown listed at 5-foot-10, 186 pounds, and Johnson clocking in at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds. They both came from small, MAC schools, too — Brown from Central Michigan University and Johnson from Toledo — and were both passed over in the draft in favor of more high-profile options.
Both Brown and Johnson possess unique, shifty skills, too, both as receivers and as punt returners, and there's little doubt in my mind Johnson — or any receiver on earth — could learn a thing or two from a perennial All-Pro like Brown.
Way back in May, before Johnson's rookie season officially began, I asked him about those similarities with Brown. And instead of running from them, he embraced them.
“I look at his releases, how he catches the ball, how he comes out of his breaks, those type of things and try to apply it to my game,” Johnson was telling me at the Rooney Complex after Day 1 of the Steelers OTAs. “I feel like my releases are just as similar as his, and my route-running also, so those are the couple things I look at.”
Roll the tape:
Yeah, you see the similarities to Brown here, and so do I. Working out with one the greatest receivers to ever do it isn't the worst thing in the world. Not to mention, Brown had his own breakout in his sophomore season, catching 69 passes for 1,108 yards and two touchdowns after barely seeing the field on offense as a rookie.
While it's easy to worry Johnson will fall into similar traps as Brown, let's give this one time to develop. It could benefit his game heading into Year 2 mightily.
