Despite Criticism, Steelers WR Diontae Johnson Top 5 WR According To ESPN; Pickens Top 15

Based on the way the Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 season went, I don't think anyone, including staff, players and fans, was happy at the season's end when the team missed the playoffs after finishing with a 9-8 record. In this 9-8 record, included an ugly start that put the team in a big hole, and even a 7-2 run to end the season couldn't sneak the team into the postseason. 

Among some of those frustrated players had to be several of the Steelers' skill players on the offensive side of the ball, especially the team's WR1, Diontae Johnson. 

The Steelers' offense struggled throughout the entire season, and it didn't come to the surprise of many people in Steeler Nation as the team's offensive coordinator Matt Canada has yet to prove he can have sustained success in the NFL. Between the team's Week 1 starter Mitch Trubisky and their Week 18 starter and hopefully franchise quarterback Kenny Pickett, they tallied a total of 11 passing touchdowns on the season, which is a category the Steelers finished dead last in this season. That paired with the red zone struggle, leads to a down year as a whole for the offense. 

The previously mentioned Johnson is likely the most frustrated of the group, and understandably so. He was coming off his best season as a pro, in which he recorded over 1,100 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as he proved he could be the team's number one option, which they rewarded him for by giving him a two-year extension this past summer. That success did not continue into this season, however, at least not on the stat sheet. 

Johnson's production dropped to recording only 82 receptions, 882 receiving yards and not a single touchdown. His lack of a touchdown ended up having him enter the NFL record books, as he recorded the most catches in a season without recording a touchdown. Not exactly the reason why you want to be put into the record books. Despite the down season on the stat sheet, ESPN analytics have him as a top 5 wide receiver in the NFL in 2022, claiming the fifth spot on the list. The only wide receivers to come in ahead of Johnson are AJ Brown, Justin Jefferson, Tyler Lockett and Stefon Diggs, all in that order with Brown at the top. 

Now, this ranking isn't just an opinion on where these players are in the NFL's wide receiver ranking, they break down the rating into three categories which are 'Getting Open', 'Making The Catch' and 'Yards After Catch.'

Several people have criticized Johnson's ability to catch the ball over the last couple of seasons, and while in his second NFL season, he did struggle with some drops. He has proved over the last two years that this is a non-issue that really isn't worth any of our breath. He had a making the catch rating of 56, which put him very much in the center of these ratings and higher than names such as CeeDee Lamb, Chris Godwin and Deebo Samuel, so hopefully, we can stop talking about Johnson's ability to make a catch. 

Johnson's lowest rating was his yards after the catch rating at 43, but that still placed him near the center of the league. This was his worst season statistically after the catch, as this has been an area he excelled in the past. However, it was clear throughout the season that the types of routes he was running and the area of the field he was receiving the ball weren't setting him up for significant opportunities in this department like they did in years past. 

Diontae Johnson Is Still The Steelers Wide Receiver 1

His rating that should come as a shock to absolutely no one, and one that should shush some of the Johnson critics, is his rating on his ability to get open. He received a perfect rating of 99 in this category, which is at the top of the league, with Lockett and Brown the only other receivers being rated above 90 coming in at 95 and 90 respectively. Johnson's route running and ability to create separation is and always has been his best trait as a wide receiver, and this year was no different. 

A lot of fans were screaming for Johnson to get fewer targets in favor of Pickens throughout the year and oftentimes asked why Johnson was the one receiving the most looks. His ability to get open should answer just that, because to a QB, a wide receiver's ability to get open and make their decisions and throws easier to execute is their favorite thing. Now, that doesn't mean that people were wrong in wanting Pickens more involved because he came in on this list pretty high himself. 

Pickens joined Johnson near the top of this list coming in at 15th overall, which had him as the second-highest rookie on the list with Chris Olave checking in as the ninth-highest-rated wide receiver. Similar to Johnson, Pickens was middle of the pack in two areas while leading the other. He came in with a rating of 48 in his ability to get open, and 41 in his ability to gain yards after the catch.

Where Pickens shined, which was on display every Sunday throughout the season, was his ability to make the catch regardless of the difficulty. His ability to secure the ball in contested catch situations is near the tops in the league, and honestly left many people's jaws lying on the floor.  

Regardless of where they both land in these ratings, it should be clear that the Steelers have a dynamic duo at wide receiver which should be able to help Pickett grow moving into his second NFL season.

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