Going back to the ’70s, the Pittsburgh Steelers have consistently produced notable receiving duos since the merger. From Stallworth-Swann, Thigpen-Johnson, Ward-Burress/Holmes/Wallace, Wallace-Brown, to Brown-Smith-Schuster, they seemingly have a great receiver with a complimentary piece that makes the offense that much more dangerous. With the future of JuJu Smith-Schuster in the air, the offense now has to determine who that “go-to” guy now is.
The current guys on the roster from last year are James Washington, Chase Claypool, Ray-Ray McCloud, and Diontae Johnson. All of these pieces have their own skillset that can be used in an offense. However, the big question is who will be “the guy”? The next question is who is the counterpart to create havoc for opposing secondaries?
When we look at it, the two pieces who complement each other the most probably would be the duo of Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson. This isn’t a knock on Washington or McCloud—both have their own skill sets—however they don’t give quite as much compliment to any other combination like these two do.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) tries to evade Houston Texans cornerback Cornell Armstrong (30) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
Diontae Johnson came to Pittsburgh in 2019 out of Toledo. Prior to the NFL Draft, he was seen as a raw project that had Day 3 value. Some of his evaluations still ring true in regards to his “quicker than he is speed” and his route running/separation abilities. He may not Mike Wallace burn you, but he will take a defender out of cleats with his moves like Jagger (forgive me.) He has built on some of the knocks such as a “lack of ball skills” at the point of attack as we saw some INCREDIBLE catches these past two years.
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There is no doubt Johnson’s greatest strength is his YAC ability. He can take a screen and make a one-yard stuffed play into a near touchdown as he did in Arizona in 2019. He can shake-and-bake a helpless defender on his way to the endzone. He can even get a clean release and beat you over the top. His skills are growing and he is becoming his own as a receiver.
JACKSONVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 22: Wide receiver Chase Claypool#11 celebrates a touchdown with fellow wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on November 22, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Steelers defeated the Jaguars 27-3. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
In most recent memory, we remember the AB-JuJu duo. Antonio Brown was similar to that of Diontae Johnson’s skill set but at just an unbelievable level and then he had some more. There is no doubt he was an elite, number one receiver. Smith-Schuster was a perfect compliment—a hard-nosed receiver who can lay the wood, go over the middle, and in the process create some YAC opportunities and burn you for a 97-yard touchdown. With the departure of AB and the unknown future of Smith-Schuster and Claypool came aboard in 2020.
With the incredible, freakish athleticism and measurables of Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, Chase Claypool came in and made as big of an impact in the offense as Smith-Schuster did his rookie season. Before being the Steelers' first 2020 pick, he was seen as a big, fast receiver who--unlike DJ--struggled to create consistent separation. However, Claypool brought a whole new element to the offense: that fast, big receiver who can create YAC and burn through a secondary. His measurables are elite and his debut was highly impactful.
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With these two, they have some similar athletic abilities in being able to create plays in the YAC game, but they are both built differently and can hurt you differently. Claypool’s game is growing into a receiver who can burn a defense while boxing out defenders and winning the point of attack—just watch his plays in Week 17 alone. Johnson will make even elite corners practice their footwork and dance moves. While defenses prepare for Claypool’s freakish combination of speed and size, Johnson will have plenty of room to work underneath and make defenders do the cha-cha slide. All it will take for them to be at peak lethality is a ground game to keep the defense on their heels; another conversation for another day.
Make no mistake, these two receivers are not finished products. Their sample size is still relatively small. However, in a year where they will have to step up, a new offensive coordinator is on board who understands their skill sets, and they will have all the opportunity to prove themselves. They can be that next duo that is a perfect compliment of each other. Maybe this is just me being optimistic—or maybe it was something that was in the making since AB and (potentially) Smith-Schuster departed. It could be a dynamic duo if this offense can reach its full potential!
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