Two days after their Week 8 loss to the Cleveland Browns opened the door for Pittsburgh to lay claim to sole possession of first place in the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens shrewdly and swiftly responded.
The move was to acquire wide receiver Diontae Johnson from the Carolina Panthers.
We examine what Johnson’s return to the AFC North means for both teams and the AFC playoff picture in general.
What Are the Terms of the Diontae Johnson Trade?
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, this is a simple Day 3 draft pick swap.
Comp update: It’s a pick flop, with the Panthers getting a 5th-round pick for Diontae Johnson and a 6th, per sources. https://t.co/bCW4sVBc5R
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2024
With the Panthers likely picking at or near the top of each round, the Ravens are moving down a handful of spots on Day 3 for a starting-caliber wideout.
Johnson leads the Panthers with 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns this season. He did not play in the team’s loss on Sunday to the Denver Broncos with a rib injury, which kept him out of practice all week.
The trade brings Johnson back to the AFC North, as he played for the Steelers for the first five seasons of his career. Pittsburgh traded Johnson to Carolina this offseason for cornerback Donte Jackson.
What Does the Johnson Trade Add to the Baltimore Ravens’ Offense?
The acquisition of Johnson makes Baltimore’s explosive offense even more so.
The Ravens, who rank second in scoring offense at 29.5 points per game, enter Week 9 leading the NFL in plays of 20+ yards with 41. They also rank second in both yards per reception at 13.2 and yards after the catch per reception at 6.9.
Johnson, who averages 11.2 yards per reception for his career and stands at 11.9 for this season, figures to fall right in line with fellow Lamar Jackson targets Rashad Bateman and Zay Flowers in terms of authoring explosive plays. Baltimore currently ranks seventh in air yards per target at 8.32, while Johnson’s air yards per target is even higher for his career at 9.47.
Baltimore’s offense already ranks No. 1 in rushing yards per game at 200.0 and now their standing in passing yards per game, already fifth-best in the NFL at 252.1, stands to improve, as well.
Where Does Diontae Johnson Fall on the Baltimore Ravens Depth Chart?
Flowers and Bateman are listed as starters on the Ravens’ depth chart. While both will remain key cogs in the passing attack, Johnson figures to take some snap share and target share away from both.
Once fully acclimated into the offense, expect Johnson to become the No. 1 or No. 2 receiver on the depth chart with Flowers occupying the other spot. Bateman gives Baltimore a high-end No. 3 option at the wide receiver position.
Jackson has looked Flowers’ way more than any other Ravens wide receiver, with 61 targets going his way and no one else on the depth chart seeing more than 35. Flowers leads the Ravens in receptions with 41 receptions and in receiving yards with 527, as well.
It should be noted, however, that Bateman leads all Ravens wide receivers in touchdown grabs with three.
Tight end Mark Andrews leads the team in touchdown receptions with four.
Ravens Match Wits with Fellow AFC Elite with WR Trade
While Baltimore lost its hold on the AFC North by virtue of their loss to Cleveland and Pittsburgh’s Monday night win over the New York Giants, make no mistake they are among the AFC’s elite along with Buffalo, Kansas City, and the Steelers.
While Pittsburgh seems intent to major in a strong running game on offense, the Ravens have now joined the Bills and Chiefs as AFC Super Bowl hopefuls who’ve consummated a trade to land a top-flight wide receiver in recent days.
Buffalo traded for Amari Cooper on October 15 while Kansas City made its move for DeAndre Hopkins on October 23.
Trade! Diontae Johnson to the Ravens:
"Baltimore, Buffalo and Kansas City all added B+ level receivers." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/Ok0Bp1Y15R
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) October 29, 2024
Aside from adding another weapon to Jackson’s arsenal in the passing game, there are two other important ways in which Johnson fortifies the Ravens as one of the AFC’s Super Bowl contenders.
First, he brings postseason experience with 20 receptions for 299 yards and two touchdowns in three games as a member of the division-rival Steelers.
Secondly, Baltimore’s decision to sign Johnson today disallows other receiver-needy contenders, such as the Houston Texans, from improving their lot. Earlier on Tuesday, it was announced that Texans star receiver Stefon Diggs would miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury.
Johnson’s Fantasy Implications After Trade
It’s been quite a journey for Johnson this season. At the beginning of the year, he was on the Steelers. Now he’s gone from the Panthers to the Ravens in the same season.
It’s been an up-and-down season for Johnson, who really struggled to start the year before finding success with Andy Dalton. Now he gets another fresh start with the best quarterback he’s played with since Ben Roethlisberger.
Johnson has always thrived on his elite route running and volume. While the move to Baltimore should be good for his efficiency, there are volume concerns playing alongside Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman in a run-first offense with a mobile QB.
Nevertheless, going from the worst team in football to one of the best has to be viewed as a net positive. Consider Johnson a strong WR3, at worst, over the remainder of the season for fantasy football.