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The Carolina Panthers traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday.
The Panthers sent the Ravens a sixth-round pick and received a fifth-round pick as part of the deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The trade comes less than a year after the Panthers traded cornerback Donte Jackson and made a late-round pick swap to acquire Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Johnson went on to make seven starts as the Panthers’ top wideout, during which he led the team with 30 catches on 58 targets for 357 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Given Johnson’s expiring contract and the Panthers’ 1-7 start to the season, the wideout was a more valuable target for an aspiring postseason contender like the Ravens than a franchise still in the early stages of a rebuild.
The Steelers originally took Johnson with a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. During his five seasons in Pittsburgh, the Toledo product accrued 4,363 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns. He recorded three straight seasons with at least 80 catches for the Steelers, highlighted by his 1,000-yard campaign and Pro Bowl nod in 2021.
After facing scrutiny for what appeared to be a lack of effort on certain plays during his final season with the Steelers, Johnson upped his trade value by serving as a top target despite quarterback uncertainty in Carolina.
After playing through signal-caller turnover in Pittsburgh, where Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky all earned starts for the Steelers in 2023, Johnson caught passes from both 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and veteran Andy Dalton with the Panthers.
Johnson’s proven ability to run routes while adjusting to playing with various quarterbacks made him an attractive rental option, although he may not be in Baltimore for long. The 28-year-old wideout is currently set to hit unrestricted free agency next spring.
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