Diontae Johnson is Having a Great Career.........And You Guys are Missing it!

Boy, I am not sure why people are so down on our QB room, I think with better Ol play and better play calling we can compete. Yes there are no Pat Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers in room, but not too many other teams have them either.

 

Like I said earlier the NFL doesn't count this year when they figure WR salary rankings, they only count the new years and new money, the guy at BTSC who covers contracts said the exact same thing .

 

I don't care what era you are in. 107 catches for 1161 yards and 8TDs are elite numbers.

 

You weren't, the guy I responded to did though.

 

Well, in 2021 Johnson was:

top 10 in catches
top 10 in yards
top 10 in TDs
top 5 in YAC
top 10 in first down catches

Also, out of the 8 receivers that had at least 150 targets, Johnson had the 2nd best drop % (3%, 5 drops) behind only Davonte Adams (1.8%, 3 drops)

And he did all of this with a 39 year old QB who threw the ball in under 2 seconds 3-5 yards down the field.

Yeah, I'd say he had an elite year.

 

They did a special on receivers on the Athletic podcast lately, they looked at every play in recent years and their take on DJ was as above. A borderline elite receiver waiting to break out, great separation ability, can get open vs zone or man etc, stylistically similar to Stefon Diggs.

They felt the offence with all the quick throws in recent years put a significant cap on his potential for big plays however.

The problem of course is that there is no guarantee the offence around him will be better in 2022 or beyond. Let’s hope Kenny Pickett turns out to be good because I think we know what Mitch and Mason are at this level and they’re not going to help any of the receivers reach their full potential.

 

Thats the problem I don’t think any of them are

 

So far he’s overpaid

Now he’s turning into an idiot

 

You will need a pair of binoculars to look that far

 

I agree. He really needs to STFU.

A lot of this isn't his fault. The offense is a mess. That being said the two things he can do is catch the ball when it does come to him, and STFU and do his job. Right now he is doing neither.

 

Here's a scout's input:

"DJ is one of the best for getting separation on those downfield routes." It reminded him of Alvin Harper's #2 role opposite of Michael Irvin.
I know Harper as a #1 did not work out so maybe DJ is best fit as a #2.
A quick look at his stats, he has 50 targets and 28 receptions. 14 have been for first downs.
He has an 9.5 avg/yds/catch/
Seems ok but does seem like a little drop off though Trubisky did not help at all and Pickett is a rookie.
I guess it's a little hard to get a good reading.

 

It hasn't all been bad. His production is down. But in the context of this offense his production is actually pretty good.

He still needs to catch the ball more consistently. Some of his drops have been drive killers. He is at the point where he is a veteran now. He has taken a step backwards IMO

I read what you wrote about the media in the other thread, and I agree with you. However in DJ's case he really needs to just stop talking period. His play doesn't warrant the right to say anything negative about anyone or anything.

 

I agree... the Media Relations team needs to sit him down for a moment. You cannot give those guys matches; they will spin it into a lot of clicks.
I'm with you on DJ, I am clicking on some of his highlights right now and while he makes a magnificent catch, he'll not secure a 'must' catch.. looks a little like a concentration issue - like he's looking too much to make a big play or something.

 

i stick by this first line. i don't think DJ is a number 1 type anymore than any other WR we have. we do however have a nice mix of 1A or 2A receivers and that can work well. spreading the ball around can work when there is that much talent at the position.

 

Johnson is nothing like Harper, who had a limited route tree and wasn't even close to as good at getting himself open.

The quarterback play has held his production down a little, but he is a big part of the problem with his drops. He also cost the team big plays each of the last two games by failing to get his feet down in bounds.

 

Hmmm....I didn't bring this post back....I believe it was @jeh1856 , but I still stand by everything I said in it.

 

I "think" the intended comparison was more to how Dallas wanted to deploy Harper. He was supposed to be the long ball threat, good separation etc.... compliment Irvin.
But I get it.. Johnson does have a broader skill set.

Man, you're a bit brutal on the sideline catch.. he made a heck of a catch but just missed getting that foot in... he's got to drag his toes but I don't know about that one. It would have been a huge catch.

 

Everyone is still getting used to the way Pickett throws the ball. Since DJ has had no practice time with Pickett until last week, I am going to give him some warming up time before passing judgement on DJ's future.

I still hope DJ can get his focus back and get on the same page with Pickett.

 

I hope he can regain his focus as well, but realistically speaking, he had plenty of practice time with Mitch and the drop issues were still prevalent..... This issue has nothing to do with the QB change.... It's all about DJ alone

 

Johnson is a crybaby telling fans to come play i say NOOOOOOOOO. you make millions Johnson. catch the ball i make below poverty level money .work hard everyday but i dont say come do my job for me. Play hard DJ do good or get out theres no time for losers we already have a whole team of losers PIRATES WE DONT NEED Steeler losers too

 

That image makes me think I'm being too kind. He had room. He needs to get his feet down. It was worse on the would-be touchdown against the Jets. He was just plain sloppy with his footwork.

 

He should have.
Though this is one of those catches you need to see the full context of at full speed. He is running at a good clip (no excuse)
If one plays football, one has heard the constant drumming of 'toes down' from day 1.

You run sideline drills over and over and over.
One foot down



Doesn't put the toes down on the other, kind of drags it but misses the turf.
This lends credit to your sloppy footwork assessment.
But it isn't like it is an every time occurrence. He makes some great catches.
I do think Mitch impacted all the WR's, and now they are synching up with Pickett. They've got to develop that vulcan mind meld thing.

 

I agree that the change at quarterback is tough for guys like Johnson, who didn't get as many reps with Pickett before the switch, but the sloppy footwork fits in with the drops as part of him being careless. That is usually where the drops start, then they get in his head.

Johnson does make some great plays, too, but the lack of consistency is what separates him from the top guys.

 

Oh, they are in his head already. Not sure if you seen the responses to criticism.

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/arti...continues_after_latest_loss/s1_17101_37980239