Diontae Johnson

Diontae Johnson

28-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Baltimore Ravens
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
$Signed a two-year, $36.71 million contract with the Steelers in August of 2022. Traded to the Panthers in May of 2024. Traded to the Ravens in October of 2024.
Uneventful return to Pittsburgh
WRBaltimore Ravens
November 18, 2024
Johnson was held without a catch on two targets Sunday against the Steelers.
ANALYSIS
It was not an eventful homecoming for Johnson after spending the first five seasons of his career in Pittsburgh. He played 11 snaps and drew a pair of targets but failed to come down with either of them. Through three games with the Ravens, Johnson has one catch for six yards on 32 snaps and four targets. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor remain the primary wide receivers for the Ravens, but there's a chance Johnson begins displacing Agholor once he gets more acclimated with the offense.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
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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
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
56.3
 
Air Yards Per Snap
1.75
 
% Team Air Yards
26.2%
 
% Team Targets
19.0%
 
Avg Depth of Target
9.9 Yds
 
Catch Rate
51.7%
 
Drop Rate
3.4%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
3.0
 
% Targeted On Route
23.9%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.47
 
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2024
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Baltimore RavensRavens 2024 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

51877%
17577%
49173%
17476%
31046%
9341%
10916%
4319%
315%
3114%
61%
00%
41%
42%
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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 Chargers 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. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
LAC
@ Chargers
Monday, Nov 25th at 8:15PM
Overall QB Rating Against
69.1
 
Cornerbacks
85.6
 
Safeties
36.2
 
Linebackers
77.1
 
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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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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
Plays five snaps
WRBaltimore Ravens
November 8, 2024
Johnson caught one of two targets for a six-yard gain in Thursday's 35-34 win over the Bengals.
ANALYSIS
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Not targeted in debut
WRBaltimore Ravens
November 6, 2024
Johnson went without a target in Sunday's 41-10 win over the Broncos.
ANALYSIS
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Light role expected in debut
WRBaltimore Ravens
November 3, 2024
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that he expects Johnson to play about 10-to-15 snaps in Sunday's game against the Broncos, Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports reports.
ANALYSIS
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Not on injury report
WRBaltimore Ravens
October 30, 2024
Johnson (ribs) was a full practice participant Wednesday, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Bound for Baltimore
WRBaltimore Ravens
Ribs
October 29, 2024
The Ravens acquired Johnson (ribs) and a 2025 sixth-round draft pick from the Panthers on Tuesday in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round draft pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Facing critical weeks
WRBaltimore Ravens
November 19, 2024
Johnson will need to finish the season well to command $20 million per year on his next contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggests.
ANALYSIS
Johnson looked destined for a big payday in free agency as he proved to be prolific at earning targets in five seasons with the Steelers. However, he's been traded twice since March, and he has logged only 31 offensive snaps in three games with the Ravens. Fowler expects Johnson's production to pick up over the final weeks of the regular season and during any potential playoff run, which could bolster the market for the wide receiver in free agency.
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