Diontae Johnson’s time in Carolina was nothing more than a stop on the way to playing for an AFC contender. Just a few months after being traded from the Steelers to the Panthers, Johnson returns to the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth and sixth rounds. That’s an extremely good deal for a Ravens team that ranks second in both EPA per game and win percentage.

No one can blame a team as good as Baltimore for pushing their chips to get to the top of the scoring bracket, but it’s not like they’re lacking in effective pass catchers.

What Diontae Johnson brings to the Ravens

Zay Flowers is having a strong sophomore season and they’ve just started using him on game-breaking routes, minimizing some of the Mickey Mouse screen work the Ravens overdid in Weeks 1 and 2. Rashod Bateman is finally healthy, giving them stability to play at the X-receiver spot. According to TruMedia, he ranks fourth in the NFL in both EPA per target and percentage of catches remaining for a first down or touchdown. Mark Andrews’ season is stabilizing. He and Isaiah Probably gave this team big moments at the tight end position.

The problem for each of these types is overall volume. None of them will push for more than eight goals on a weekly basis, both because of the surrounding pieces in the passing game and Baltimore’s commitment to its potent rushing attack. Adding Diontae Johnson to the mix creates even tighter targeting pressure.

There’s no question that Johnson brings a dimension to this team that none of the others offer. He is the best pure separator against man and press coverage on the perimeter. According to Fantasy Points Data, the Ravens have seen Cover 1 at the eighth-highest rate this season, so they need one-on-one man hitters from the outside. Bateman has improved that look this season, hence his efficiency per catch, but Johnson gives them another proven team that can do it at high volume.

There’s little chance Johnson can come close to hitting his goal of 27.1% per route in Weeks 1-8 with the Panthers in Baltimore. He will also likely focus on Flowers’ target share of 27% and increase volatility in Bateman and Andrews’ weekly production.

This trade is a really good move for the Ravens’ offense and Johnson brings separation skills that any team, especially a playoff contender, can utilize. It’s just hard to get the math to work.

What do we think of the Panthers’ remaining pass catchers?

As for Carolina, there are still some interesting young talents on the offensive line, but it’s hard to imagine anyone rising to fantasy glory. The offense ranks 31st in EPA per game; Even the vaunted Andy Dalton era that had sustained Johnson came to a sputtering end. At this point, the Panthers are probably close to turning to Bryce Young again, just to see if that’s the case anything to me from the young passerby. Regardless, rookie receivers Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker are the names to know.

Legette was and is a project receiver, but I love the way the Panthers used him. They didn’t ask him to win on vertical routes at X receiver just because he’s big and fast. Instead, they used him off the line and let him run the routes across the halfway line that best suited his current ability. That’s good coaching.

Fellow rookie Coker is an undrafted free agent who I was really impressed with on film. He is an advanced technician with a great feel for zone coverage. Coker has taken 70.5% of his snaps from the slot this season and has earned playing time. Maybe Adam Thielen will come back and take the job, but since Carolina is clear about the future and not worried about 2024 results, that doesn’t make sense. Especially not when Coker gives them good reputations.

Elsewhere on the roster, veteran receiver David Moore, familiar with Seattle and Tampa Bay’s Dave Canales, took over Johnson’s vacated X-receiver role last week and led the team in routes. He’s not a target earner, so he’ll just work out concepts for Legette and Coker. Former second-rounder Jonathan Mingo is falling down the depth chart and his skills overlap too much with the 2024 rookies.

The Panthers’ passing offense doesn’t seem to be able to create the necessary ground to produce good results. However, it’s good to know these names in case something changes drastically.