As a rookie, Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson had a great season, especially considering the offense fell apart after its leader was placed on injured reserve. Johnson logged a rookie-high 59 receptions for 680 yards and five touchdowns — all but three of those receptions came from Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges. Just imagine what Johnson will do with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm.
In terms of production, players typically make the most significant leap from their first to second seasons.
Where do you think that will put Johnson? An excellent indicator of the future is the past.
Here is how other receivers in their second-year have performed:
James Washington
44 rec., 735 yards, three touchdowns
JuJu Smith-Schuster
111 rec., 1,426 yards, seven touchdowns
Antonio Brown
69 rec., 1,108 yards, two touchdowns
Martavis Bryant
50 rec., 765 yards, six touchdowns
Markus Wheaton
53 rec., 644 yards, two touchdowns
Emmanuel Sanders
22 rec., 288 yards, two touchdowns
Mike Wallace
60 rec., 1,257 yards, 10 touchdowns
Santonio Holmes
52 rec., 942 yards, eight touchdowns
Plaxico Burress
66 rec., 1,008 yards, six touchdowns
Hines Ward
61 rec., 638 yards, seven touchdowns
I estimate that Johnson will put up 60 receptions, 881 yards, and nine touchdowns based on his eight predecessors and two current teammates’ past production. The potential is there for Johnson’s numbers to be even higher, but there are a lot of cooks in the Steelers kitchen — more than Roethlisberger has ever had it his disposal.
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