5 NFL wide receivers who could break out in the 2021 season

2. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

When Diontae Johnson entered the NFL in 2019, he came with some eye-catching skills. He was immediately a threat to get open on every single play with his agility and hand-fighting ability. His hands, however, have been an issue — namely in terms of his drops. Last season alone, Johnson dropped a total of 13 passes, which was a jump up from his rookie year which he had six total.

While Johnson does have competition in JuJu-Schuster Smith and Chase Claypool, I still believe he has a great chance to become a standout receiver with the Steelers. Regardless of his catching ability, he has movement skills that nobody on this roster does. Moreover, a shift in offensive philosophy to more short and intermediate throws fits Johnson perfectly.

To truly break out in the 2021 season, Johnson must mitigate his drops so that he can become a more reliable presence in the passing offense. Even still, he has all of the traits of a player who can be an every-week impact player for the Steelers offense, assuming that Ben Roethlisberger is able to find the young pass-catcher consistently.