If I were to ask a random football fan to name the top-five target leaders per game in the NFL to this point in the 2021 season, I feel pretty confident that names like Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams would come to the fan's mind with ease. And that fan would be right — the above trio ranks at Nos. 1, 3 and 4, respectively. But hidden in that mix with 10.9 targets per game, second only to Kupp, and with 120 targets total is Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
That means a lot of things. You don't target a receiver that often if said receiver is not a) really talented at getting open, b) really talented once the ball is in his hands, raising the incentive to draw up plays to him and c) a highly trusted member of his quarterback's arsenal. And Diontae Johnson is a perfect example of all three. Taking a look at what he's done already, just midway through his third season in the league, in comparison to other Steelers greats makes his case as an elite wideout even more enticing.
As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac noted, Johnson already has more receptions (223) than any other receiver in Steelers history had through their first three seasons, and there's still quite a bit of time left for the speedy Johnson to build on that total before the year is over. He's produced 2,517 yards and 18 touchdowns from all those receptions, adding 10 carries for 92 yards, and he's only 42 games into his career. On a per-16 game basis, Johnson is averaging 85 catches, 959 yards and seven scores. The reception number is of particular note — let's see how that stacks up to some other Steelers greats across their first three seasons:
As we've already mentioned, Johnson still has five games to play before his third regular season has come to an end, and he'll have to get a whole lot of action in the receiving game if he wants to supplant Wallace in the receiving yards and touchdown totals. Still, he'll probably come close, and he might have the best overall stat line over that initial three-year span for a franchise that is chock-full of impressive wide receivers.
It's also worth mentioning that his rookie season numbers almost solely came from Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, which certainly isn't a duo of quarterbacks you'd want when trying to bolster your stats. Upon Roethlisberger's return in 2020, Johnson officially had his breakout campaign, with preseason hype launching lofty expectations — expectations that, aside from a little bit of a dropping issue, Johnson fully met. This year, drops haven't been an issue at all. In fact, he has just one, giving him one of the lowest drop percentages in the whole league.
And though Big Ben isn't playing his finest football, that might actually suit Johnson's play style. Getting open on underneath routes is something he does better than most everyone, and the fact that Roethlisberger's arm isn't as strong as it used to be means he relies on finding his undersized wideout more often than others might have.
But that's not to say he can't make big plays happen over the top, too. Don't knock Big Ben for that just quite yet.
Despite his 5-foot-10 frame, Johnson can truly do it all, and the future should hold even more excitement and production.
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