Sleeper WR for Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver room is still lacking behind the likes of DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III. As such, the door is wide open for a player further down the depth chart to impress the coaching staff throughout the summer and make a push for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Brandon Johnson has fit that billing thus far, and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni has been a staunch supporter of his for quite some time.

“I don’t overlook him because this is the third place I’ve coached him,” Azzanni said. “I recruited him to Tennessee, I got him to Denver, he did the rest there. Helped get him here, thank God they listened to me and brought him here, because he’s a sneaky good player. I’m really excited about where he’s at, he can help us. I’m able to coach him hard, he’s our type of player."

Azzanni was both the receivers coach and passing game coordinator during Johnson's first year at Tennessee. The pair reconnected when the latter signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2022, where the former served as his position coach before heading to the New York Jets in 2023 and the Steelers in 2024.

Johnson appeared in seven games as a rookie, logging six receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown over that stretch. He then posted 284 yards and four touchdowns on 19 catches for Denver in 2023, though the team would release him at final roster cuts last August.

Pittsburgh listened to Azzanni's recommendation and signed Johnson to its practice squad, where he'd remain for the majority of the 2024 campaign. He was elevated for the maximum of three regular season games, however, and hauled in a single pass for nine yards over 19 total snaps.

The Steelers signed Johnson to a reserve/futures contract in January, and he has an opportunity to earn playing time this year if he can carry over his strong performance from OTAs and veteran minicamp into training camp and the preseason.