Panthers' DIONTAE JOHNSON was the BEST acquisition of offseason 🏈 2024 NFL HOT TAKE | Yahoo Sports

yeah um I'm going to do the opposite of what you just did which is uh Harden your heart about one of your like kind of pet favorite players you're doubling down I'm going to I'm gonna double down here which this is this has never bitten me in the ass before when I've doubled down on this particular player and also this is like an outrageous thing to say uh headline Deontay Johnson was the most important player acquisition of the off season outrageous headline in the entire NFL not just the Panthers in the entire NFL um love this I I think it's just glossed over that Bryce young because obviously CJ stra passed him up and and and the whole thing this guy was the first pick in the draft that the Panthers I mean mortgage months ago yeah not not that long ago the Panthers mortgaged their future for traded away their number one receiver to get this guy and then the owner comes out afterwards like oh yeah this guy actually doesn't need good receivers because he can play point guard there was like a interview with terer about this it's like maybe in five years when he's been in the league but not in his rookie year you can't just throw out like Jonathan Mingo playing out of position and DJ CH is like the worst separation X receiver in the entire league you can't just do that to Bryce young so I think having Deontay Johnson here and being able to again Salvage the number one overall pick is pretty critical here and I am generally higher on consensus than Deontay Johnson because everybody knows this he's a he's a good separator I mean but I don't think he's just a good separator I think he's straight up just one of the best separators and Route runners in the League last year in reception perception 81st percentile success rate vers man 82nd against Zone 85th against press and that was like one of his lowest Seasons because he came back playing with an injury I think they gets me excited about Deontay and Carolina is I think they won just need a guy to be open for Bryce young I think Bryce young is going to look like a dramatically better quarterback when he simply has somebody that okay I know this guy on the on the backside of Concepts is just going to be open and if he's my first read great I'm going to get it out quick but even if he's the second read I can read out like different plays to Legette and if they get Mingo involved or whatever um I think just having that guy is going to be so critical and look I know Adam D was productive last year but this is just a different level of player and I also trust Canalis to use Deontay Johnson well because last year with Johnson I like all the things that people typically give him crap for Deontay Johnson is like low efficiency last year career best yards per rout anybody have efficiency in that offense right yeah but and and I think the worst version of that offense last year at least from a quarterback play perspective because that's just where Kenny picket was career best yards per route run career best yards per Target career low drop rate and career-high average depth of Target because they were able to move him around a little bit more because Pickins was kind of that stationary X receiver he took the most snaps I've ever charted of him like in the back field in the slot because again he could be detached from the formation off the line of scrimmage just wasn't stuck as that inefficient smaller X receiver and then the last point Point here too is I I don't know if you feel the same way Nate but watching what Canalis did with Mike Evans from a route like distribution perspective was so encouraging to me because the year prior so the year prior with Mike Evans where Tom Brady's trying to get the ball out quick and they can't pass protect Evans ran a career-high go route uh go route rate which makes no sense because cor trying to get the ball out fast last year they cut his go route rate to the lowest of his career at least in terms of reception perception highest slant route rate or second yeah highest slant route rate and then yeah the out routes and Corner routes were also career highs because those are Bakerfield really good at is the outbreaker yes oh that's great and those were with Baker okay okay I like all this so just the fact that we've seen him take a guy who we know is a good player and use him in more like in more efficient ways and ways that most importantly map to what the quarterback wants to do which is spread it out and push the ball uh outside the numbers not as much over the middle of the field I think we can see him do something similar here with Deontay Johnson who is a full field route Runner but is going to be able to help Bryce Young on those more over the-middle plays no I like that a lot the the Deontay Johnson you just mentioned that do you have like his slot rate was that yeah so last year knew had a handy of course so the first the first four years that I've charted for him uh in Deontay johnon 5.7 9.6 5.1 10.6 last year 21.1 yeah that's a huge jump it was and if you could I mean I noticed it I didn't realize that was that much higher it was that's when he kind of he Johnson kind of clicked for me I'm not a high I like him but I'm not as high as you are is I don't think anyone could be but uh but the but when he they they bumped him into the slot a little bit those outbreaker is where I was like I get you now like I I get what you are those Corners those outs those sail routes those quick outs that's and you know who likes throwing those is Bryce young Bryce Young he's accurate doesn't have the I mean he has a below average arm strength I I will I'll put NFL terms um he it's below average but he's accurate and he he wants to operate on time so he needs guys that can create Yak he needs guys that you've already mentioned all this but ball out quick get the ball in their hands and then they can just get five yards for him Ball winners are not for him Ball winners are for I would say Trevor Lawrence would be good with a ball winner Herbert maybe with a ball winner even Dak with a ball winner guys that like maybe just push it outside give guys chance es the back shoulder and everything Bryce young wants to throw Slants he wants to throw crossers he wants to throw quick outs so it kind of is a nice stylistic fit I like a lot and they got Mingo who I guess has come along I wasn't high on him coming out I think he's a gadgety guy he's yeah should have been a he is he's coming along but I understand at least trying to get a yak eyy like a guy that can catch it and run the runway routes that you know D Brer talked about Xavier will get same kind of thing exactly no idea what to think of him because I want to see I have to see him as a pro before I have any takes on Xavier at but he has but the fact that they have one guy who can just separate and like ISO routes oneon-one with Deontay Johnson like that's going to allow you to do the exactly no I totally get everyone gets a tick down a little bit so no great call Deontay Johnson I'm glad you got to rope him in GL we got to talk about the Panthers a little bit because I always just feel like Canalis is good so I and I they're going to try and I I like it