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Welcome to the pre-draft season! Leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft starting on April 28th, we will be releasing draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next up…
I feel confident in saying that the Steelers are going to be drafting a wide receiver in April’s draft. With several 2021 playmakers departing for new opportunities, the Steelers’ slot receiver spot is currently open for business. With that said, a slot receiver is tough to find in the draft. With the bigger names of Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Drake London, and Treylon Burks getting a lot of attention, and rightfully so, this year’s draft brings one of the deepest wide receiver classes compared to what we’ve seen prior. Therefore, the Steelers may look for the next ‘Antonio Brown’ of this draft class in the later rounds to fill their vacant slot role. This is where they’ll be looking at Josh Johnson out of Tulsa.
Johnson thrives in the slot. For being relatively average in terms of build, he possesses great speed and can break away for big gains after the catch. Johnson can navigate his way through the middle of the field and create separation in a crowd. He prides himself on being able to run the full route tree and allow himself to make a play on the ball. Johnson was one of Tulsa’s best players in 2021 and it showed in some big games. Against Ohio State, he posted a stat line of 8 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. In their game versus Memphis, Johnson tallied 140 yards on 8 catches with another touchdown. Johnson’s average of over 17 yards-per-reception is why I am following him very closely. At the NFL Combine, he performed well, as he posted 14 reps on the bench press as all other receiver prospects opted out. Johnson has the necessary hand strength, work ethic, speed, and reliability that gives him a decent ceiling for a slot receiver. Not to mention, he also has experience in kick and punt returns as well, which also adds to his value.
Johnson has a lot to prove to NFL scouts after playing at Tulsa. Tulsa doesn’t necessarily gain a lot of national attention, and this will result in Johnson getting lost in the shuffle. He wasn’t able to work out fully at the NFL Combine due to an injured ankle and had to rely on his Pro Day to prove his case. He seemed to be a bit injury prone in college, so this plays into his projected shelf life. As I mentioned above, Johnson isn’t necessarily a large, physical receiver for lining up in the slot. As such, Johnson wasn’t asked to block a lot in college and he’ll need to be coached up in that aspect. Johnson’s transition to the NFL will be tough to gauge. He transferred out of Iowa State to Tulsa after not performing like he wanted in a “Power Five” conference. Even though he was the leading receiver at Tulsa, they really didn’t have many options offensively which aided in Johnson getting the majority of play time.
As I previously stated, this draft is one of the deepest at the receiver position. There are a lot of prospects who are going to be called ahead of Johnson who fit that more ‘prototypical NFL receiver’ mold. In addition for Johnson to be called, it will be by a team with a need for slot receivers. With the free agency market still having some veterans available, this will also play into how teams prioritize their slot positions. I think Johnson will need to wait until the third day to be selected, but I anticipate he’ll be gone by about halfway through the 6th round.
I love Johnson for the Steelers. Watching Johnson’s tape, looking at his measurements, and learning of his work ethic, he reminds me of Antonio Brown. Coincidently enough, Johnson will most likely get drafted around the same time Brown did. With Johnson being one of the best value picks available in this year’s draft, this will give the Steelers the ability to address their safety concerns, cornerback depth, and defensive line and linebacker priorities first. However, the Steelers do not currently hold a 5th round selection. Therefore, they’ll have to bank on Johnson being available to them in the 6th round, which may be a stretch. Look for Johnson to really make a name for himself as one of the next best NFL receivers who wasn’t considered a top prospect.
Where do you see Johnson going in April? Would you want to see him in the black and gold? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
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Josh Johnson (Wide Receiver), Tulsa, Senior
OVERVIEW
I feel confident in saying that the Steelers are going to be drafting a wide receiver in April’s draft. With several 2021 playmakers departing for new opportunities, the Steelers’ slot receiver spot is currently open for business. With that said, a slot receiver is tough to find in the draft. With the bigger names of Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Drake London, and Treylon Burks getting a lot of attention, and rightfully so, this year’s draft brings one of the deepest wide receiver classes compared to what we’ve seen prior. Therefore, the Steelers may look for the next ‘Antonio Brown’ of this draft class in the later rounds to fill their vacant slot role. This is where they’ll be looking at Josh Johnson out of Tulsa.
PROS
Johnson thrives in the slot. For being relatively average in terms of build, he possesses great speed and can break away for big gains after the catch. Johnson can navigate his way through the middle of the field and create separation in a crowd. He prides himself on being able to run the full route tree and allow himself to make a play on the ball. Johnson was one of Tulsa’s best players in 2021 and it showed in some big games. Against Ohio State, he posted a stat line of 8 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. In their game versus Memphis, Johnson tallied 140 yards on 8 catches with another touchdown. Johnson’s average of over 17 yards-per-reception is why I am following him very closely. At the NFL Combine, he performed well, as he posted 14 reps on the bench press as all other receiver prospects opted out. Johnson has the necessary hand strength, work ethic, speed, and reliability that gives him a decent ceiling for a slot receiver. Not to mention, he also has experience in kick and punt returns as well, which also adds to his value.
CONS
Johnson has a lot to prove to NFL scouts after playing at Tulsa. Tulsa doesn’t necessarily gain a lot of national attention, and this will result in Johnson getting lost in the shuffle. He wasn’t able to work out fully at the NFL Combine due to an injured ankle and had to rely on his Pro Day to prove his case. He seemed to be a bit injury prone in college, so this plays into his projected shelf life. As I mentioned above, Johnson isn’t necessarily a large, physical receiver for lining up in the slot. As such, Johnson wasn’t asked to block a lot in college and he’ll need to be coached up in that aspect. Johnson’s transition to the NFL will be tough to gauge. He transferred out of Iowa State to Tulsa after not performing like he wanted in a “Power Five” conference. Even though he was the leading receiver at Tulsa, they really didn’t have many options offensively which aided in Johnson getting the majority of play time.
DRAFT PROJECTION: 5th to 6th Round
As I previously stated, this draft is one of the deepest at the receiver position. There are a lot of prospects who are going to be called ahead of Johnson who fit that more ‘prototypical NFL receiver’ mold. In addition for Johnson to be called, it will be by a team with a need for slot receivers. With the free agency market still having some veterans available, this will also play into how teams prioritize their slot positions. I think Johnson will need to wait until the third day to be selected, but I anticipate he’ll be gone by about halfway through the 6th round.
VERDICT
I love Johnson for the Steelers. Watching Johnson’s tape, looking at his measurements, and learning of his work ethic, he reminds me of Antonio Brown. Coincidently enough, Johnson will most likely get drafted around the same time Brown did. With Johnson being one of the best value picks available in this year’s draft, this will give the Steelers the ability to address their safety concerns, cornerback depth, and defensive line and linebacker priorities first. However, the Steelers do not currently hold a 5th round selection. Therefore, they’ll have to bank on Johnson being available to them in the 6th round, which may be a stretch. Look for Johnson to really make a name for himself as one of the next best NFL receivers who wasn’t considered a top prospect.
Where do you see Johnson going in April? Would you want to see him in the black and gold? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
