3 enticing traits Diontae Johnson brings to the Carolina Panthers
By Dean Jones
Diontae Johnson gets open
Another major failure of the Carolina Panthers' wide receivers last season was an inability to create separation. Only Adam Thielen seemed capable of manipulating space for himself. This led to quarterback Bryce Young almost force-feeding the football in his direction with no dependability elsewhere.
Diontae Johnson gets open. He's a slick route-runner who knows how to use leverage to his advantage. He stops on a dime and has the quick twitch agility to make even the smallest window count. This is exactly what Young needs in pursuit of bouncing back from a horrific rookie campaign with mitigating circumstances attached.
According to ESPN's open score - which accounts for routes ran and success rate against various coverages - Johnson sits No. 1 league-wide over the last three seasons. This means he knows how to separate quickly and make a quarterback's life easier.
If Johnson can improve his ball security with better distribution, the Panthers have a steal on their hands. What this means for the future of others remains to be seen, but Dave Canales has already stated there will be no room for sentiment when it comes to molding a better roster this offseason.
Should Johnson bring the same aggression, explosiveness, and ability to get open into the Panthers' offensive game plan, the benefits will be substantial. And Young will be smiling more than anyone else.
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