Rising Stars: Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman Light Up the NFL

BySolidarity Project Blog

Diontae Johnson is a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Rashod Bateman is a wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens.

Diontae Johnson Or Rashod Bateman

Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman are two highly talented wide receivers currently making waves in the NFL. Both come from college programs that have produced NFL quality talent – Diontae coming out of Toledo and Rashod out of Minnesota. Johnson has quickly proven to be a reliable target for the Pittsburgh Steelers, with over 700 receiving yards in his first two seasons. Bateman, on the other hand, is a rookie who showed promise during the 2020 NFL season with 745 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns with the Baltimore Ravens. While their stats may be similar, their styles of play differ greatly. Johnson mostly uses his speed and agility to create separation on vertical routes. Bateman takes advantage of his size to push defenders around while also using crisp route running to find space in close quarters. Both players possess an incredible combination of skill sets that make them playmakers for their respective teams. This overview should give you a better understanding of why Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman are two wide receivers you need to keep an eye on in the 2021 NFL season.

Diontae Johnson & Rashod Bateman

Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman are two of the most promising young wide receivers in the NFL today. Both were highly sought after in the 2021 NFL Draft and showed why they deserved to be picked early. They have each had impressive collegiate careers that have made them stand out among their peers. Here, we take a look at their career highlights, rookie season performance, player comparison and talent assessment, impact in the NFL Drafts, college football records and personal accomplishments.

Career Highlights

Diontae Johnson was a standout wide receiver for the University of Toledo Rockets before being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He immediately made an impact in his rookie season, catching 59 passes for 680 yards and five touchdowns. He went on to post impressive numbers in his sophomore season, racking up 59 receptions for 823 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also been an efficient return specialist for the Steelers, bringing back 23 punts for 222 yards and one touchdown over his first two seasons.

Rashod Bateman was a star player at Minnesota where he set numerous school records while playing only two seasons before being taken with the 27th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by Baltimore Ravens. In his rookie season at Minnesota, he caught 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns while also rushing for three more scores on just seven carries. His impressive performance earned him First-Team All-Big Ten honors as well as Big Ten Receiver of The Year recognition in 2019. In 2020, despite playing only half of the season due to Covid-19 related issues, he managed to catch 48 passes for 723 yards and five touchdowns which earned him another First-Team All-Big Ten selection as well as Second-Team All-American honors from Associated Press (AP).

Rookie Season Performance

Diontae Johnson’s rookie season was highlighted by his five receiving touchdowns which tied him with James Washington for most receiving TDs by a Steelers rookie since 1999. During this period he also recorded 686 all purpose yards which ranked him second among all rookies behind only Oakland Raiders’ Hunter Renfrow who had 867 all purpose yards that year. His efficiency on punt returns also earned him recognition from Pro Football Focus (PFF) who named him as one of their top 10 returners during his first season in the league despite having only 23 attempts during that period.

Rashod Bateman’s rookie campaign with Ravens was highlighted by his impressive play downfield when it came to creating separation from defenders as well as making contested catches when needed. Although he played just half a season due to Covid-19 related issues he still managed to make an immediate impact on Ravens passing attack with 48 receptions (second among all rookies) and 723 receiving yards (third among rookies). He also made some big plays downfield averaging 15.1 yards per reception which ranked fourth overall among rookies behind only Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals), Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers) and Chase Claypool (Pittsburgh Steelers).

Player Comparison & Talent Assessment

When it comes to comparing Diontae Johnson vs Rashod Bateman it’s important to recognize their different skillsets and how they fit into their respective offenses’ gameplans. Diontae is more of an underneath threat who excels at finding soft spots in coverage while Rashod is better known as a deep threat who can stretch defenses vertically downfield with his speed and size advantages over defenders. Both players have great hands but Diontae has shown better ability when it comes to making contested catches while Rashod has been more effective at creating separation from defenders thanks to his quickness off the line of scrimmage and good route running technique . Additionally Rashod has displayed better ball tracking skills than Diontae when going after deep passes downfield which allows him to make more big plays than Diontae despite seeing fewer targets than him over their respective careers so far .

Impact of Diontae Johnson & Rashod Bateman in NFL Drafts The 2021 NFL Draft saw both Diontae Johnson & Rashod Bateman taken within four picks off each other with Johnson going 55th overall pick by Pittsburgh Steelers while Batemen was taken 27th overall pick by Baltimore Ravens . This goes to show just how highly these two prospects were rated leading up into draft day . It’s also worth noting that both teams have already reaped huge rewards from these picks with both players already making significant contributions during their respective rookie seasons .

Background of Diontae Johnson & Rashod Bateman When it comes to looking at each players college football records its clear that both had very successful collegiate careers . Diontea finished his career at University of Toledo with 1,278 receiving yards , 13 touchdowns , 113 receptions , 118 kick return yards , 10 punt return touchdowns , 5 interceptions , 4 fumble recoveries , 3 forced fumbles , 2 defensive touchdowns , 2 blocked punts , 1 rushing touchdown across 34 games played . Meanwhile Rashod left University of Minnesota with 2338 receiving yards , 19 receiving touchdowns 8 rushing attempts for 40 rushing yards across 24 games played .

On top of their college successes both players have achieved personal accomplishments off field too . For instance Diontea has become an ambassador for Special Olympics Pennsylvania while showing great leadership qualities by helping organize charity events within Pittsburgh community since joining Steelers organization . Similarly Rashod has been active within charitable organizations too such as Boys & Girls Clubs Of America where he regularly visits different branches around Baltimore area whenever possible during offseasons or bye weeks throughout regular seasons .

The Strengths of Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman

Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman are two talented wide receivers with different strengths that make them valuable assets to their team. Both players excel in their preferred position, showing tremendous speed, agility and endurance that allow them to break away from defenders and make big plays. Diontae Johnson has a knack for finding open space and using his quickness to gain yards after the catch. On the other hand, Rashod Bateman is a skilled route runner with great hands that make him an elite possession receiver. He has the ability to out-maneuver defenders in tight coverage and catch the ball in traffic.

Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Two Players

Diontae Johnson’s main advantage is his speed which allows him to run past defenders for long gains. He also has great body control which helps him adjust to errant passes, making him a reliable target. His main disadvantage is his lack of size which makes it difficult for him to fight off defenders in jump ball situations.

Rashod Bateman’s main advantage is his technical skillset, particularly his route running ability. He is able to create separation from defenders quickly with precise cuts while also showing good awareness when adjusting routes on the fly. His main disadvantage is his lack of top end speed, which can limit him against faster defensive backs.

Requirements to Meet for Both Players

In order for both players to reach their full potential, they must strive for excellence in all aspects of their game. They must have the athleticism goals necessary to succeed at wide receiver such as top-end speed, acceleration off the line and footwork control. Additionally, they must continue developing as players by working on fundamentals such as route running techniques, hands-catching drills and proper weight training programs that will help them remain durable throughout games and seasons.

Strategies Used During Training Sessions

In order for these two athletes to reach their peak performance level, they must use specific strategies during training sessions that focus on both physical training overviews as well as mental coaching strategies that will help them stay focused during games or practices. Physical training should be focused on improving overall conditioning levels with drills such as sprints or agility ladders that emphasize quickness and endurance while also focusing on strength building exercises such as squats or bench presses that will help them become more powerful when fighting off defenders or chasing down passes in the air. Mental coaching strategies can include visualizing scenarios during games or practices so they know exactly what needs to be done when those situations arise in real life scenarios. Additionally, short term goals need to be set so they can track progress over time while also staying motivated throughout each practice session or game day performance.

FAQ & Answers

Q: Who is Diontae Johnson?
A: Diontae Johnson is a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Toledo. He had a strong rookie season, making 59 receptions for 680 yards and five touchdowns.

Q: Who is Rashod Bateman?
A: Rashod Bateman is a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings. He was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Minnesota. During his college career, he made 67 receptions for 1,170 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Q: What are some career highlights from Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman?
A: Diontae Johnson had a strong rookie season with the Steelers where he caught 59 passes for 680 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 2020, he completed 67 receptions for 833 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Rashod Bateman had an impressive college career at Minnesota, where he made 67 receptions for 1,170 yards and 11 touchdowns. During his senior year in 2020, he caught 43 passes for 602 yards and 4 touchdowns despite missing several games due to COVID-19 protocols.

Q: How do Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman compare to each other?
A: Both players have similar size at 6’1″ tall and weighing around 200 pounds. Their production in college was nearly identical as both were productive receivers who could make plays downfield. They also have similar speed and agility which should make them productive receivers in the NFL as well. The main difference between them is that Bateman has more experience playing in a pro-style offense so he may be better prepared to contribute immediately in 2021 than Johnson was in 2019 when he came out of Toledo’s spread offense system.

Q: What impact will Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman have on their respective teams in 2021?
A: Both players should make an immediate impact on their new teams as they should be able to contribute right away as starters or key rotational players depending on their usage by their teams’ coaching staffs. Their athleticism should help open up the passing game while their size should allow them to make plays downfield against opposing defenses. Additionally, they should benefit from having veteran quarterbacks throwing them the ball which will give them more opportunities to be successful at the next level compared to if they were playing with rookies or inexperienced signal callers.

In conclusion, Diontae Johnson and Rashod Bateman are both talented young wide receivers in the NFL and have proven themselves to be capable of making an impact on their respective teams. However, Diontae Johnson has more experience in the NFL and has had more success overall, while Bateman is still a relatively new player with plenty of potential. Ultimately, it depends on the teams needs as to which receiver they should choose.

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