Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson had a very impressive rookie season in 2019 as the team’s first of two third-round selections caught 59 passes for 680 yards and five touchdowns. His 59 receptions led all rookies in 2019 as well. Not only that, Johnson also tied for the league lead in another stat as well.
According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel tied for the NFL lead in missed tackles forced by a wide receiver in 2019. Both forced 18 missed tackles, according to their stats.
Was Johnson really that elusive as a rookie? A quick run through the all-22 tape shows that PFF’s stats are correct.
Johnson’s 18 total forced missed tackles registered in 2019 came in 10 different games and on 13 different plays. After registering seven forced missed tackles in the Steelers first 10 regular season games of 2019, Johnson closed out the final six regular season games with 11 more in four different contests.
Below is a video compilation of all 18 of Johnson’s forced missed tackles from his 2019 rookie season for all to watch.
