Diontae Johnson

28-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR

Carolina Panthers

2024 Receiving Stats

REC

YDS

AVG

6.8

TAR

Rest-of-Season Projections

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

Johnson is off to Carolina to help resurrect 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, following a five-year stint in Pittsburgh that was mostly marked by tons of volume and bottom-of-the-barrel efficiency. Neither big (5-10, 183), nor fast (4.53 40), the 2019 third-round pick nonetheless was quick to make an impression in Pittsburgh, using his impressive agility and acceleration to get open on short routes and pick up yards after the catch. Johnson led the team in targets each of his first four seasons, with 92 as a rookie (59-680-5) and then more than 140 each of the next three years (88-923-7 / 107-1,161-8 / 86/882/0). His disastrous efficiency in 2022 (6.0 YPT, zero TDs on 147 targets) was followed by lesser volume and improved efficiency in 2023 (8.2 YPT, five TDs on 87 targets in 13 games), making it a bounce-back season of sorts even if Johnson didn't help fantasy managers. The look of Carolina's roster heading into the 2024 Draft gives Johnson a chance to get back to the type of volume that all but ensures fantasy relevance, albeit in an offense that may be just as bad as what he dealt with in Pittsburgh (or even worse). The Panthers don't have a TE with any significant track record as a pass catcher, and their only WR that's ever made fantasy noise is Adam Thielen, who put up huge numbers over the first eight weeks last year but then averaged just 43.3 yards over the final nine game (and now will turn 34 in August). It seems the team is heavily counting on Johnson, which didn't really work out for the Steelers but did lead to the one big fantasy year in 2021. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

#82.47

ADP

Overall

Wide Receiver

Bye Week 11

Height 5'10"

Weight 183

DOB 7/5/1996

College Toledo

Drafted 3rd Rd 2019 #66 Overall

Minimal production in Week 2 loss

WRCarolina Panthers

September 15, 2024

Johnson brought in three of six targets for 15 yards in the Panthers' 26-3 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.

ANALYSIS
The veteran was once again a victim of circumstance, as Bryce Young threw for only 84 yards on 3.2 yards per attempt. Johnson did draw a team-high amount of targets that also matched his Week 1 total. As expected, Young sees Johnson as a reliable receiver, but the second-year quarterback's inability to get the ball downfield will continue to cap Johnson's fantasy value heading into a Week 3 road matchup against the Raiders.

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NFL Stats

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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats

See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.

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Advanced NFL Stats

How do Diontae Johnson's 2024 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?

This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.

Air Yards Per Game

47.5

Air Yards Per Snap

1.19

% Team Air Yards

23.2%

% Team Targets

22.2%

Avg Depth of Target

7.9 Yds

Catch Rate

41.7%

Drop Rate

0.0%

Avg Yds After Catch

2.6

% Targeted On Route

22.6%

Avg Yds Per Route Run

0.64

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2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2024 NFL Game Log

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2023 NFL Game Log

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2022 NFL Game Log

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2021 NFL Game Log

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2020 NFL Game Log

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2019 NFL Game Log

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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart

Snap Counts

Snap %

Panthers 2024 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts

A.Adam Thielen

D.Diontae Johnson

J.Jonathan Mingo

X.Xavier Legette

D.David Moore

#% of Team Snaps

8180%

8079%

5958%

5251%

2020%

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#1 WR

Panthers

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Receiving Alignment Breakdown

See where Diontae Johnson lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.

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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense

How does the Raiders pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?

The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is.

@ Raiders

Sunday, Sep 22nd at 4:05PM

Overall QB Rating Against

82.0

Cornerbacks

50.8

Safeties

129.2

Linebackers

87.9

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2024 Diontae Johnson Split Stats

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Measurables Review View College Player Page

How do Diontae Johnson's measurables compare to other wide receivers?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

Height

5' 10"

Weight

183 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.53 sec

Shuttle Time

4.45 sec

Cone Drill

7.09 sec

Vertical Jump

33.5 in

Broad Jump

123 in

Bench Press

15 reps

Hand Length

9.00 in

Arm Length

30.75 in

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7 days ago

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9 days ago

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Johnson set a new standard for the high-volume, low-efficiency receiving season last year, finishing with 86 catches for 882 yards and nary a touchdown on 147 targets. Even in an offense with miserable quarterback play, it's the type of performance that leads to serious concern about his future (including the workload). Johnson has always been elusive and tricky to tackle, but drops have been a recurring theme and he's neither big (5-10, 183) nor fast (4.53 40) by NFL standards. On the other hand, he was an extremely productive fantasy player as recently as 2021 (107-1,161-8) and the Steelers only have WR George Pickens and TE Pat Freiermuth as serious target competition. Should second-year QB Kenny Pickett improve, Johnson would presumably be one of the prime beneficiaries even if the target volume takes a necessary step back.

Johnson is on the small side for an NFL wideout, and while he perhaps plays a bit faster than his 4.53 40 time from the 2016 Combine suggests, he won't be mistaken for a burner anytime soon. No matter, the Steelers have peppered him with targets, and it's hard to fault them when you see how easily Johnson gets open on short routes and the way he puts defenders on skates once the ball is in his hands. The big concern in 2020 was drops, with 13 a league high and ultimately costing him a 1,000-yard season. Last year, Johnson cut the drops (five) and surpassed 1,000 yards with relative ease, though it required a boatload of targets (169, t-2nd) in an offense with poor blocking and a washed-up version of Ben Roethlisberger. While it's not hard to imagine even better numbers in the future, Johnson's drawbacks for 2022 sound awfully similar to 2021. Mitch Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett might prove better than late-stage Roethlisberger, but probably not by much, and the O-line landed just one clear upgrade in the offseason (RG James Daniels). Then again, those weaknesses might work in Johnson's favor when it comes to volume. As much as the Steelers hope for breakthroughs from Pickett, Chase Claypool and rookie wideout George Pickens, there's also a chance they end up overly reliant on short throws again, in which case Johnson, TE Pat Freiermuth and RB Najee Harris would stay well fed.

Johnson had one of the stranger seasons in recent memory. While he missed only one game, he was benched in others for drops and also got injured early in Week 5. Johnson wound up leading the NFL with a whopping 15 drops, yet still managed 144 targets on a team with two other viable WR options. Johnson’s per-play numbers (10.5 YPC and 6.4 YPT) were among the league’s lowest, partly due to drops, but mostly because the Steelers ran a bizarre, pass-heavy offense based heavily on short throws. While teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster finished 35th in aDOT at 5.6 yards, Johnson was 30th at 8.0. At 5-10, 183, Johnson is small, and his timed speed (4.53 40) is below average for a player his size. But put him in a uniform, and he looks like another small, poor-40-timed former Steelers receiver, Antonio Brown. Like Brown, Johnson’s quickness and burst jumps off the screen, and he even hauled in four catches of 40-plus yards last year despite the low aDOT. Of course, Johnson’s focus needs to improve — 15 drops is off-the-charts high, especially for a player catching passes at close range — and coach Mike Tomlin’s tolerance is not infinite. Moreover, Ben Roethlisberger looked shaky last year, and it’s unclear whether he will regain his former arm strength. That said, Johnson is one of the quickest wideouts in the league, so even with Smith-Schuster re-signing and second-year man Chase Claypool around, he should see plenty of work.

A third-round pick in 2019, Johnson saw regular snaps once JuJu Smith-Schuster got hurt and more than held his own under the circumstances. While his per-play numbers were pedestrian - 11.5 YPC, 7.4 YPT - Johnson was paired with two of the league's worst quarterbacks, yet still managed to score five touchdowns and catch two passes for 40-plus yards on 92 targets, mostly lining up outside. At 5-10, 183, and with a below-average 40 time (4.53), he has about the same physical specs as Antonio Brown, and like Brown, Johnson is quick and explosive. The Steelers have been wizards at developing smaller young receivers - from Santonio Holmes to Mike Wallace to Brown to Emmanuel Sanders - and Johnson could be the next in line, especially with Ben Roethlisberger healthy again. But Smith-Schuster, who already has Roethlisberger's trust, should be the clear No. 1, and Johnson will compete with 2018 second-round pick James Washington, 2020 second-round pick Chase Claypool and tight ends Vance McDonald and Eric Ebron for second fiddle. Johnson had sports hernia surgery after the season but is expected to make a full recovery for the start of training camp.

Despite a poor performance at the Combine, Johnson has the tools to make an impact with the Steelers as a depth receiver/returner. He actually had a faster time in the forty (4.53) than Antonio Brown (4.56) and is now in line to compete with Eli Rogers and Ryan Switzer for slot work. He could also add value on special teams, having led the nation in punt return average (19.9) at the collegiate level the past two years, while scoring four times on kick or punt returns.

More Fantasy News

Quiet debut for Carolina

WRCarolina Panthers

September 8, 2024

Johnson caught two of six targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 47-10 loss to the Saints.

ANALYSIS
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Healthy for preseason finale

WRCarolina Panthers

August 24, 2024

Johnson caught one of two targets for 17 yards in Saturday's 31-26 preseason win over the Bills.

ANALYSIS
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Expected to face Bills

WRCarolina Panthers

August 24, 2024

Johnson (illness) is among the Panthers on track to see action in Saturday's preseason finale against the Bills, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

ANALYSIS
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Comes down with illness

WRCarolina Panthers

Illness

August 22, 2024

Johnson missed Thursday's practice with an illness, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.

ANALYSIS
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Returns to practice

WRCarolina Panthers

August 20, 2024

Johnson (groin) returned to practice Tuesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Expected to play Saturday

WRCarolina Panthers

August 22, 2024

Johnson, who is currently dealing with an illness, is expected to play with the rest of the Panthers' starters in Carolina's preseason finale against the Bills on Saturday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

ANALYSIS
The offseason trade acquisition has also dealt with a groin injury this summer, and the missed practices have been less than ideal considering the Panthers are implementing a new offensive system under first-time head coach Dave Canales. Johnson projects as the Panthers' No. 1 receiver going into the 2024 season, so his ability to log game action with Bryce Young and the rest of his teammates for the first time would be particularly valuable ahead of Week 1.

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