Diontae Johnson relishes his return to No. 1 WR role with the Panthers

Canales said he plans to move Johnson around the formation to keep him away from defenders; at certain points during camp, the Panthers had the receiver line up in the backfield. The coach isn’t worried about defenses paying too much attention to Johnson.

“Tendencies are fine as long as you know you have them,” Canales said. “The defense is going to look for somebody and I think that opens up everything else. So I think the quarterback’s patience going through progressions and finding the next guy, and I think the (other) receivers and tight ends will come alive after that.”

One of the keys to Johnson getting back to the 1,000-yard mark will be staying healthy. He missed Wednesday’s practice with what Canales described as a mild groin strain, but the team doesn’t believe the problem is serious.

Johnson possesses the skills to be a consistent threat in Canales’ offense. Even with the coach’s persistence with the running game, his scheme saw two 1,000-yard receivers last season in Tampa Bay: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

In Pittsburgh, the arrival of George Pickens took some of Johnson’s targets away. Coupled with a passing offense that rarely saw explosive plays over the past two seasons, Johnson’s production declined.

He now enters the 2024 season as the clear No. 1 in a passing offense alongside Adam Thielen and first-round pick Xavier Legette. Former second-rounders Terrace Marshall Jr. and Jonathan Mingo, from a previous regime, have struggled to fit in early in their careers.

The Johnson trade was a vital part of the plan to jumpstart quarterback Bryce Young’s career after the quarterback struggled mightily as a rookie. After importing a quarterback-friendly coach and adding weapons, the Panthers believe they have the pieces to begin turning things around.

“I think he’s going to surprise some people,” Johnson said of Young. “I think this offense is going to surprise some people.”