Panthers see big role for Diontae Johnson: ‘You’ll be the first read ... almost every play’

Diontae Johnson admitted with a smile that he didn’t know much about Charlotte when the wide receiver was traded from the Steelers to Carolina in March.

He hadn’t visited the area before. He’d crossed paths with a slew of Panthers players — from Miles Sanders to Adam Thielen to free agent pickup Jadeveon Clowney — but hadn’t shared a roster with them. In fact, the first time Johnson got dinner with the Panthers’ energetic and newly hired head coach Dave Canales, the wide receiver didn’t exactly know who he was speaking to.

“To be honest, at first, I didn’t know he was the head coach,” Johnson told reporters with a smile on Tuesday afternoon, just after the first day of voluntary veteran minicamp, the first team activities of the 2024 season. “He was just talking, and the energy he brings — after the dinner, somebody told me that he was the head coach, and I was so surprised.

“I love his energy. I’m excited to play for him.”

A lot has been made clear to Johnson since he first landed in Carolina, since that introductory dinner. Among the most consequential, in the receiver’s own words: “I’m here to make him” — as in second-year quarterback Bryce Young — “better.”

“I’m just a guy that can get open, wherever I’m at on the field, just give him that sense of comfort,” he said.

He later added, “Dave told me as soon as I got here: ‘You’re playing the X. You’ll be the first read on the progression almost every play.’ My unique skillset I bring to the table, we’ll utilize it.”

Back in March, the Panthers agreed to trade cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-round pick (178) to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Johnson. The deal was a big one for the Panthers. The veteran — who caught 107 passes for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in his Pro Bowl 2021 season — was a clear upgrade at wide receiver, and the upgrade didn’t require a huge hit on the salary cap or giving up any important draft pick inventory.

And as far as his “unique skillset,” that’s clear, even by Tuesday’s “day one.” He can stretch the field — one of this tattered offense’s many holes in 2023 was its inability to make explosive plays — but is much more than that.

Take it from Canales, who had previously said Johnson’s “release ability is second to none” and that playing with him is “a dream for any quarterback.” Or take it from Young himself, the guy whose second year jump depends, at least in part, on Johnson getting open.

“I think really his competitiveness,” Young said when asked what strikes him about Johnson. “It shows even now. It’s all the little stuff. He’s a perfectionist. ... He’s wanting to get things right. If my throw is a little behind, the route’s a little off, whatever it is, getting the timing right. And as a quarterback, that’s super encouraging to see: someone who cares, who you can tell puts a tremendous amount of work in to be where he’s out now. “

It’s true that the three key figures tasked with turning around the Panthers’ passing attack — Young, Johnson and Canales — are still getting to know each other. It’s Day 1 of a long lead up to training camp, which leads into the preseason, which leads into a long season.

But it’s also true that the potential Canales sees — and the role he hopes Johnson will play — holds water. Canales, himself, is a former wide receivers coach. So is his offensive coordinator Brad Idzik. The Panthers’ receivers coach, Rob Moore, was a former NFL receiver himself. Canales has worked with a bunch of big-time receivers, from Mike Evans in Tampa Bay to Tyler Lockett in Seattle — two of a spectrum of “great players” who “come in all shapes and sizes,” Canales said Tuesday.

He might as well have been talking about Johnson, who stands at 5-foot-10, 183 pounds but is already taking up a large role in the Panthers’ future.

Here are a few other notes from Tuesday.

A first look at Panthers’ new practice facility

Tuesday’s voluntary veteran minicamp session marked the first time local media could see the Panthers’ practice facility that is still under construction. In February, Panthers LLC filed rezoning site planning documents that laid out what the team’s new practice facility will look like — one that includes a new fieldhouse and training facilities, as well as “indoor seating for sports and events/performances viewing on a periodic basis.” The team expects to use this site (and no longer the Wofford Campus in Spartanburg) for training camp, which typically begins in late July.

Who was present/absent from Panthers voluntary veteran minicamp?

Canales said he was pleased with Tuesday’s attendance at Day 1 of the three-day veteran voluntary minicamp. Chandler Zavala, DJ Wonnum and Amare Barno were on the field but weren’t taking place in drills. Corner Troy Hill, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson and kicker Eddy Pineiro weren’t there. When asked about the absent players, Canales said those matters were “private.”

Among the notables who were there included center Austin Corbett — fresh off a knee injury — Clowney and Tarik Cohen and Shaq Thompson.

Thoughts on Xavier Legette maybe coming to Carolina?

Xavier Legette, a South Carolina wide receiver who has gotten quite a bit of buzz ahead of the NFL Draft later this week, said earlier this week on a podcast that he has formed a strong connection with the Panthers and that if he’s still available by the 33rd pick, the Panthers have told him they’re inclined to take him.

Canales was asked about what he looks for in players he might one day draft Tuesday. His answer: ”For me, I’m looking for guys who can tell their story. I think it says a lot about their self-awareness. I think it says a lot about how they can achieve their goals, and how quickly they can achieve their goals by being able to systematically, in an organized way, tell their life story.”

Looking for an NFL Draft party in Charlotte?

Even though the Panthers don’t have a first-round pick, Draft Carolina and The Charlotte Touchdown Club are teaming up to give NFL fans a place to gather for the first night of this year’s draft on Thursday. The event, held at Ink N Ivy in uptown Charlotte, will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature former NFL players telling stories — including Steve Israel, Joe DeLamielleure and former Carolina Panthers star Captain Munnerlyn — as well as a silent auction of NFL and NCAA memorabilia. For more information, visit DraftCarolina.com/events.