Juwan Johnson’s stock has been a hot topic this month, but Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton just threw a bucket of cold water on the buzz.
Moton named Johnson the Saints’ biggest bust for the upcoming season, arguing that the tight end is unlikely to repeat the kind of production he posted in his career year. He went even further, saying Johnson won’t “come close to matching those numbers this year.”
The case against Johnson leans heavily on the numbers, and Moton points to the Saints’ added pass-catching depth as part of the concern. He specifically cited Jordyn Tyson and Bryce Lance as players who could make it harder for Johnson to get back near the 900-yard mark he reached last season.
Still, the idea that Johnson is suddenly fighting for his standing as New Orleans’ top tight end feels like a stretch. He remains the Saints’ unquestioned TE1, even with Noah Fant and Oscar Delp joining the room this offseason.
Fant and Delp look more like complements than replacements. Moton is giving Delp time to develop and sees a path for Fant to chip away at Johnson’s passing-game role, but the expectation is that both newcomers will do most of their work in multi-tight end sets.
When the Saints line up with just one tight end on the field, that spot should belong to Johnson almost every time.
Fant will get some targets, sure, but that’s more a reflection of the Saints having more receiving options than a sign that Johnson’s role is disappearing. With more depth at pass catcher overall, the ball is likely to be spread around more, which is part of why the ceiling looks harder to reach again.
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