With Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson now entering his third NFL season, he’s been around long enough to identify talent when he’s on the football field and specifically on his own team during offseason practices. On Thursday, Johnson met with the media prior to the team’s final mandatory minicamp practice of 2021 and during his session he was asked to identify any teammates of his that have impressed him so far during the offseason practices. He didn’t waste any time coming up with a response.
“Dwayne Haskins,” Johnson said. “He’s got a strong arm and I see his work ethic every day and how he takes time and is training with the quarterbacks coach. And just how he tries to gain information from everybody around him that he’s learning from.”
Johnson pointing out Haskins’ arm strength as being one of the things that has impressed him so far about the team’s new quarterback isn’t overly surprising. After all, Haskins’ arm strength was one of several main reasons why he was a first round draft pick a few years ago. In short, the biggest takeaway from the positives that Johnson identified on Thursday when it comes to Haskins is how the third-year quarterback is going about his business and attempting to improve himself by learning from those around him. Why? Because Haskins seemingly has humbled himself now after being jettisoned from the Washington Football Team earlier in the offseason.
So far this offseason, the reports on Haskins and him fitting in with the Steelers since signing a one-year deal several months ago have been really positive. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin also seems to be investing quite a bit of time in the young quarterback as well during the offseason practices. In short, so far, so good when it comes to Haskins.
With the Steelers winding down their 2021 mandatory minicamp on Thursday, the next time we’ll see Haskins is when training camp gets underway in the later part of July. From there, we should get to see Haskins play quite a bit during the preseason and that includes the team’s Hall of Fame contest in early August against the Dallas Cowboys. As for Johnson and his extended thoughts on Haskins, he’s now looking forward to working with the young quarterback more the remainder of the offseason.
“Hopefully I get a chance to get out there with him or whatnot, get a couple of passes from him,” Johnson said on Thursday of Haskins. “But I just see it in him. He’s hungry and he’s ready to play.”
