Has Juwan Johnson leveled up? The collegiate wide receiver-turned-pro tight end took more snaps than anyone else at his position in the New Orleans Saints’ season opener, including 2020 third-round draft pick Adam Trautman. It’s an impressive sign of growth for the former undrafted free agent, but it goes to show that Johnson’s hard work is paying off.
His efforts to put on weight during the offseason, bulking up to 250 pounds at the start of training camp, have resulted in better performance as a blocker — Johnson helped spring Taysom Hill for several big gains in Week 1’s win against the Atlanta Falcons. He logged double-digit snaps as a run blocker for just the second time in the last two years, showing marked improvement over what we’ve seen before.
But Johnson first made this team for his receiving skills, and that’s where things get interesting. He was tasked with protecting Jameis Winston on just one passing down, running 33 routes the rest of the time. And of those 33 routes, Johnson lined up in the slot a staggering 23 times (67.6%). Only Jarvis Landry (28 routes, or 82.4% of his total) spent more time in that alignment.
To put in perspective, Johnson ran nearly as routes from the slot (23) as Adam Trautman saw total snaps (25). Trautman was designated to many more blocking assignments, lining up to move people on 15 running downs and 6 passing plays. He only ran 4 routes on the afternoon, all from an inline alignment. With veteran blocking specialist Nick Vannett a healthy scratch on the inactive list, Trautman was given the nod to fill that role while Johnson was deployed as a receiver. Taysom Hill made a big impact on just 16 snaps (4 as a receiver, 4 as a runner, and 8 as a run blocker), but he isn’t really a conventional tight end or part of this equation.
So is Johnson now the TE1? Maybe. Maybe not. We need to see how the Saints approach more situations in more games to say for sure. They ended up playing from behind in Week 1 against the Falcons and switched to a more pass-heavy script than they may have first intended. So while Johnson may be preferred on passing downs (and as a receiver rather than pass protector), it’s possible Trautman still sits ahead of him on the depth chart and the game flow dictated differently.
Either way, it goes to show how far Johnson has come. And he has a ways to go still. Running a lot of routes is one thing. Catching passes when they’re sent his way is something else. Johnson was targeted 5 times against Atlanta but only caught 2 receptions to gain 43 yards, converting a single first down. His 11.2 average depth of target and few contested catch opportunities suggest he’s getting open while working at a typical range for an NFL tight end.
Johnson’s on his way to becoming a good player for the Saints. His willingness to continue helping the team any way he can, including on special teams (Johnson played on the kick return and coverage units against the Falcons, as well as the field goal kick squad with Trautman) is commendable. It’ll continue to help him earn opportunities in this league, and maybe to see enough reps to progress in other areas of his game and meet his potential.
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