A Baltimore Ravens offense that was among the NFL‘s most explosive got even more potent on Tuesday when the team acquired Panthers’ wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman were already a dynamic and explosive duo for Lamar Jackson, but Johnson’s addition takes this group to another level.
Here’s a closer look at how the addition of Johnson impacts the Ravens’ wide receiver depth chart.
Baltimore Ravens WR Depth Chart
Zay Flowers
Even after Johnson is fully integrated into Baltimore’s offense, one can argue Flowers is still the top dog because of his rapport with Jackson as well as his versatility within the scheme. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken can deploy Flowers as a slot receiver, out wide, or even line him up in the backfield.
Flowers has run 162 routes with 33 targets as a wide receiver and 88 routes with 27 targets from the slot, with similar production both ways. He has 21 receptions for 261 yards lining up out wide and 19 grabs for 265 yards and one touchdown from the slot.
Flowers also has one route run and one catch from the backfield and he has six rushes for 47 yards on the season.
First TD of the year for @ZayFlowers 💐
Tune in on CBS and @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/XIrwdkOhn1
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 15, 2024
Diontae Johnson
What will become a headache for fantasy football managers and DFS players is surely already looking tantalizing for Monken, the play-caller, and Jackson, the one pulling the strings.
The duo of Bateman and Flowers along with a deep tight end group that includes Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely was lethal enough, but now adding Johnson, a bona fide No. 1-caliber receiver, is splashy.
The Carolina Panthers are a wreck at quarterback and have been a one-dimensional, predictable offense for the majority of their possessions. Yet, Johnson has managed to grind through it and total 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
Diontae Johnson (5-10, 183) through SEVEN games:
* 30 catches
* 357 yards
* 3 TD
* Seperation percentage: 65.31%
* Drop rate: 6.3%For a comparison, here is Zay Flowers' numbers, who leads the Ravens in yard/catches, through EIGHT games:
* 41 catches
* 527 yards
* 1 TD
*…— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) October 29, 2024
Taking him out of the mess in Carolina and placing him in an already well-oiled machine in Baltimore should lead to the kind of playmaking we saw from Johnson when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rashod Bateman
Bateman had a bad drop last week in Cleveland. Had the four-year vet been able to reel in that pass, Baltimore stood a good chance of pulling out a victory on the road.
That blemish notwithstanding, Bateman has been more than a serviceable option for the Ravens in the passing game. He leads the receiver group in touchdown receptions this season with three and averages 13.8 yards per reception for his career.
Lamar Jackson loves Rashad Bateman! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/oYVpA6lfUE
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 27, 2024
Flowers is a part of the heart and soul of the Ravens offense, and Johnson gives Jackson a No. 1-level outside receiver, but Bateman is no slouch, especially as the No. 3 receiver. His target share may go down with the addition of Johnson, but Bateman will remain a mainstay on the offense.
Nelson Agholor
A battle-tested, athletic, and supremely agile pass catcher, Nelson Agholor still has value in Baltimore but is clearly the fourth option among the wide receivers. And when you add in the tight ends — namely Andrews and Likely — he’s the fifth, at best, and probably the sixth option.
SEE MORE: Baltimore Ravens Depth Chart
Baltimore could find ways to use Agholor on special teams to make the most of his roster spot, and Agholor would be the team’s first option in the slot should Flowers become unavailable for any reason.
He now becomes one of those players who has very little fantasy value but still provides role-playing services for the team.
Tylan Wallace
Tylan Wallace was a fourth-round pick in 2021 and has played in all eight games this season. Despite playing in every game, Wallace has been targeted just twice (he caught both passes and totaled 31 yards).
A role on special teams will likely be the only way he contributes going forward unless an injury or two pops up among the receiver group.
Devontez Walker
A fourth-round pick this past year, Walker has played in two of the Ravens’ eight games in 2024 but has not registered any statistics.
