Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson couldn’t find the end zone last season and didn’t break 1,000 yards. By Johnson’s standards, it was a bit of a down season, but general manager Omar Khan thinks Johnson is going to have a good year in 2023.
“I have no doubt in my mind that Diontae is gonna be successful this year. He’s a hardworking football player, you know, he’s exciting to watch. I mean, you guys saw it, that play he made in the opener against Cincinnati last year, the one-handed catch, that that was a pretty special play and he’s capable of that and more,” Khan said via the team’s YouTube channel.
Johnson’s catch against Cincinnati last year was one of the best of the entire season and it was a big reason why Pittsburgh was able to steal a game against their division rivals to open up the season. While his season was rife with frustration as he couldn’t score a touchdown and had a few maddening plays, he’s still the team’s top receiver and that’s probably not going to change in 2023.
With another year of chemistry with Kenny Pickett and an offense that should be a little bit more open and pass-heavy, there’s almost zero doubt that Johnson will score a touchdown in 2023, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him eclipse the 1,000-yard mark. He was the most open receiver in football last season, and as Pickett gains confidence and Matt Canada expands the playbook, Johnson’s output should improve.
While George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth are also going to see their fair share of targets and Allen Robinson II and Calvin Austin III are also in the mix, Johnson is going to be the go-to guy and Pickett’s first option. He also has the ability to make plays downfield. Given that in addition to his ability as an underneath receiver, Johnson is going to have a major role in the Steelers’ offense.
While Johnson certainly isn’t a favorite among many Steelers fans, he’s still a very good wide receiver who was a byproduct of his situation last season. There was uncertainty at quarterback, and while he tried to gain extra yards by running horizontally or backward instead of forward at times, it doesn’t take away from his talent.
Just watch that catch in Cincinnati again. He has the potential to make more special plays and be a top receiver in the league. I think he’s going to show that in 2023.
