Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool. Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

If Diontae Johnson is out, who will be the Steelers' No. 1 receiver in Week 1?

By Josh Yourish | Last updated 9/7/22

The Steelers are mostly healthy heading into their Week 1 matchup in Cincinnati, but WR Diontae Johnson’s shoulder injury could be worrisome. He was limited in practice Wednesday, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and did not provide a concrete timeline for his return.

If Johnson misses Week 1, QB Mitch Trubisky's primary target could be either rookie George Pickens or Chase Claypool, now in his third season.

Claypool could have a new role in the offense in 2022. His slot usage skyrocketed in the preseason, and with JuJu Smith-Schuster gone, that could be his main role.

Slot rate for Chase Claypool (6'-4", 227 lbs) throughout career:

2020: 23.4%
2021: 19.5%
2022 Preseason: 83.3%

Big Slot SZN is upon us.
pic.twitter.com/iIdRj0pC14
— Tyler Buecher (@TylerBuecher) August 29, 2022

At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Claypool will probably be a dynamic mismatch for nickel corners over the middle. He was used over the middle at Notre Dame, and some even speculated he would be a tight end in the NFL. However, Ben Roethlisberger’s diminished arm strength in recent seasons largely prevented the Steelers from throwing over the middle.

But with Johnson ailing, Claypool could play on the outside. As an outside receiver last season, Claypool only converted 105 targets to 59 catches for 860 yards and two touchdowns

Meanwhile, Pickens is a true outside receiver and could play more snaps than Claypool when all three receivers are healthy. If Johnson is out Week 1, Pickens probably would do more with his targets.

He has the body control and awareness Claypool does not have.

In Week 1 in 2021, Bengals rookie Ja’Marr Chase hauled in five catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. If the shoulder injury keeps Johnson out, Pickens could mirror that performance.

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