3 enticing traits Diontae Johnson brings to the Carolina Panthers
By Dean Jones
Diontae Johnson brings explosiveness
Whether it was Frank Reich and Thomas Brown's mundane scheme or the lack of genuine talent, the Carolina Panthers offense lacked any qualities whatsoever in 2023. Bryce Young suffered enormously as a result. Making things more dynamic and playing to the signal-caller's strengths is the primary objective for Dave Canales during his first season as head coach.
Diontae Johnson is going to assist greatly from an explosiveness standpoint. The former third-round selection out of Toledo is sharp out of his cuts and can make people miss in the open field. He's adept at moving off press coverage despite his lack of size and is especially influential over intermediate routes.
While Johnson wouldn't be classed as an elite burner, his game speed is solid. This is reflected in the player's superb production over the last five seasons, amassing 4,363 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns from 391 receptions during that span.
His career catch percentage of 61.2 percent is average, but it's also worth remembering that the Pittsburgh Steelers haven't exactly benefitted from stable quarterback production in recent years. Bryce Young is an upgrade on anything Johnson's had under center since Ben Roethlisberger in 2021. This was the season where he went over 1,000 receiving yards and made the Pro Bowl.
Johnson brings something the Panthers didn't have before his arrival. This also doesn't preclude those in power from making further additions with most of their assets still intact.