5 breakout stars to watch for Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020

1. WR Diontae Johnson 

It’s safe to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers have had their share of success when it comes to drafting wide receivers. And it certainly hasn’t mattered how early or how later in the process these performers were selected. From third-round pick such as Hines Ward (1998), Mike Wallace (2009) and Emmanuel Sanders (2010) to 2010 sixth-round selection Antonio Brown and second-round standout Juju Smith-Schuster (2017). And we would be remiss if we didn’t include first-rounders Plaxico Burress (2000) and Santonio Holmes (2006), who each caught the game-winning score in Super Bowls XLII and XLIII for the Giants and Steelers, respectively.

So have the Black and Gold found another gem in intriguing wideout in Diontae Johnson? He was a third-round selection from Toledo this past year and on more than one occasion flashed his playmaking ability. He wound up leading the team in catches (59) and touchdown grabs (5) and finished second on the club in receiving yards (680) behind Nate Washington (735). He also returned a punt 85 yards for a score in a win at Arizona.

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Of course, the Steelers’ offense struggled mightily minus quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this past season and he even had his issues before exiting after one half of action in Week 2. In any case, the team’s receivers should benefit from his return. And it will be fascinating to see what kind of numbers Johnson could put up this year.